Christmas Past
by daveymalucci510
Summary: A look into seeing what makes SSG Scream tick and know why he is the MYSTERY MAN of his team, Rawhide 1.
1. To Call or Not To Call

**_Christmas Past_**

**A/N: Sorry, but I know squat about military life, so I'll do my best. Please forgive me. This fanfic will mostly do with the personal life of my favorite character, SSG Scream…so there will be little reference to the military.**

_**PART 1**_

SSG Scream paced back and forth inside the communications tent. Inside his hand, he held a white card. He would occasionally flick the card against his left hand, while he silently debated whether or not to use it. After fighting his inner feelings, he took one deep breath and made his decision.

**Scream **_(to himself)_Goddamn it, I'll do it. It's only fair. I have rights too.

Scream picks up the nearest phone and starts to dial the PIN number on his white calling card. After several rings, there's an answer.

**Voice on phone: **Hello, may I help you?

**Scream: **Lindsay, I knew I would track….

Before Scream could get a seventh word out, he was met with a loud click and then an annoying, endless dial tone. He put the receiver down and stared at the phone for over ten minutes. Nervously, he tapped his phone card up and down on the table he leaned on. He was determined to finish the call he had made. She wasn't going to treat him this way anymore. Scream was persistent and knew if he kept calling then she would realize that he was still around and he still remember their past together. There was no way she was going to ruin his life any more than it all ready had been. He picked up the phone again and redialed the same number. Again, it rang and on the other end there was a click. Unfortunately, Scream didn't wait to hear anything else. He hung up first.

As much as he wanted this settled, he understood that as stubborn as he was and would always be, she was twice as pigheaded. If he kept calling, she would just pack up and move again and it would take him years to track her down again.

Flashbacks ran through his mind, as he tried to figure where he went wrong with her. What did he do to make her hate him so much? Who was Scream kidding? Everything he did in his life was screwed up. He had always a low opinion of himself from his very first memories. He thought of himself as unlovable. Someone that no one could care for or ever love. What made him think that it would improve as he got older. It just got worse, but now he had a solution to his problems. He could just run away and hide from them and no one would come looking for him, like they did when he was a child, and then it was only because the orphanage he grew up in had a quota of kids to keep on hand. From the time he was eighteen and completely on his own, he kept to himself to avoid human contact with others. No human contact, no human feelings to be expected. Joining the army, was the perfect solution. It would give him a life that, as far as he could see then, he didn't have. There he would have a place to live, food…rotten food, but food nonetheless and even get a paycheck. Most of all, nothing more was expected of him except to do his job. He was there to defend his country, not to make friends and that suited him just fine.

A quick push of the tent flab and strong footsteps on the hard dirt floor brought Scream out of his zone. A private had sat down on a cot that was positioned right behind the phones.

**Private: **You can't sleep.

**Scream: **No. (pause) I have five minutes left on this phone card, if there's anyone you want to call.

**Private: **You couldn't reach anyone?

Scream shook his head.

**Scream: **Nah, no one's answering.

**Private: **Shit, sergeant, I'd love to use your five minutes.

Without hesitation, Scream got up and handed the waiting private his card.

**Private: **Thanks Sergeant.

Scream didn't answer. He just continued to walk out of the tent, not looking back at the phone and once again keeping his past within him…a gesture which usually cause nightmares for him especially around this time of the year. Halloween was just upon them and within months it would be Christmas, Scream's least favorite holiday and the main source of his nightmares.

To be continued. Please read and review.


	2. What's Up With Scream?

_**Christmas Past**_

_**Part 2**_

Scream stopped by his fire team's tent to do a final head check. He peeked in under the tent flap and his eyes were met with complete darkness.

**Scream: **Sound off, Rawhide 1!

One by one, three men of the team notified Scream that they were there.

**Scream:** Where's Tariq?

**Smoke: **Maybe he got lucky…he best hope it ain't with his sister.

**Dim: **He doesn't have a sister here in Iraq.

**Smoke: **That he know 'bout.

**Angel:** Don't pervert the man with your own fantasies, Smoke.

Dim lets out a laugh he's been trying to hold back.

**Smoke: **Yah, shut the fuck up…bro'.

**Scream: **ALL YOU ASSHOLES, SHUT THE FUCK UP…WHERE THE GODDAMN IS TARIQ!

**Dim: **He's at the head, sir.

**Scream: **DON'T CALL ME GODDAMN SIR! HE GETS BACK, YOU ALL GET SOME SLEEP! I'M GETTING YOU UP AT 0300 HOURS! CAPT. BARON WANTS US TO CLEAR ANOTHER TOWN! YOU'RE NOT UP AND READY TO MOVE, I'LL PERSONALLY COME IN HERE AND DRAG YOUR GODDAMN SKUNK ASS OUT OF THAT RACK BY WHAT EVER PART OF YOU I GET HOLD OFF, AND FOR YOUR GODDAMN SAKE, YOU BETTER BE WEARING A FUCKING CUP!

The tent goes silent as Scream departs. The silence doesn't last.

**Dim: **Scream seriously needs a tranquilizer. He's too strung out.

**Angel: **Either he does or we do. Hate to be that stressed after a couple years.

**Smoke: **You ain't gonna be here a couple of more days, if you don't let me get some fucking sleep. Don't know shit 'bout you fucks, but I need my equipment down there and I want it in working order. What the fuck some girl gonna think she reaches down and there ain't nothing for her to grab.

Tariq quietly slips back in the tent.

**Tariq: **You guys still up. Thought you be out cold by now.

**Dim: **Get some rest. Sarge is getting us up earlier in the morning.

Tariq climbs into his cot.

**Tariq: **What were you talking about when I came in?

**Dim: **Smoke's sex life.

This time Angel lets out a loud laugh before saying his nightly prayer for himself and his fellow soldiers. Smoke abruptly pulls the covers over his head.

The next morning, Rawhide 1 along with another detail are loading up two trucks with guns, ammo, Kevlar vests, and all popular MRE'S. Doublewide slams the hood of the second hummer down as Mrs. B climbs in the driver's seat of the first van. Doublewide walks to the back of the van and surveys it with her eyes.

**Angel: **Problem with the truck?

**Doublewide:** Nah, just waiting for Sgt. Scream's orders to move.

**Smoke: **Don't hold your fucking breath. He ain't here.

**Angel: **Yeah, that's weird. Anyone know Scream to be late for an assignment.

**Tariq: **Come to think of it, I haven't seem him at all this morning.

**Dim: **I'll check the Staff/NCO's tent.

**Smoke: **'Member what the man said 'bout anyone who ain't here when we ready to move out. See how he like his manhood threatened, shit.

Scream is finishing adjusting his Kevlar vest and his ICOM, when something on the ground catches his eye. He bends down and picks up a medium sized gift-wrapped box. On the front is the recipient's name and address and just underneath is a stamp, "_RETURN TO SENDER_".

**Scream **_(to himself)_I'm sorry, sweetheart, I tried. Really I did.

A shadow appears at the entrance way of the tent and brings Scream out of his deep thought. Scream scrambles to put the package back under his cot when he realizes Dim has joined him.

**Dim: **Sarge…

**Scream: **What, soldier? WHAT THE FUCK YOU FIND SO GODDAMN IMPORTANT YOU NEED SNEAK UP ON ME!

**Dim: **I didn't sneak, I just walk…

**Scream: **What do you want?

**Dim: **We're packed and ready to go. Just waiting on you, sergeant.

**Scream: **Get back on the van, I'll be there as soon as I get there.

**Dim: **That's all I wanted to hear.

Dim about faces but something causes him to turn back around and hesitate just out side the tent flap. He watches as Scream ducks under his cot and carefully maneuvers a box further underneath it and out of sight of anyone's vision. Scream stands up but remains still, staring at his cot as if he expects the box to jump up through it. He finally departs but notices he still isn't alone.

**Scream: **Something else, soldier?

**Dim: **Everything alright, sarge?

**Scream: **You standing there holding up our detail. Other than that, all's fine.

**Dim: **I mean you, sergeant. You okay? That box…

**Scream: **I'm pissed that my fire team is the last to leave. Who you think LT. Underpants is going to come down on if we ain't there to clear the town. (_pause_). MOVE IT!

Dim shakes his head and leads the way to the van. He jumps aboard obviously hurt by the sergeant's attitude. The others notice, but Dim shrugs it off as Scream looks over his team, steps up in the van and gives Mrs. B the word to proceed.

**Scream: **ROLL IT OUT, MRS. B!

Later that night, the team return to the base with two insurgents that they captured in the now cleared out town. Flex-tied and turned over to the lieutenant and captain, the fire team heads for the mess tent. Seated together at a table, they start complaining amongst themselves about the condition of the provisions. Scream slowly approaches their table but continues past them and heads for a table in the corner.

**Mrs. B: **I know Scream ain't stuck up, but why he can't just sit with us?

**Dim: **As a superior, he has to keep a professional distance from us. Only when he needs to eat with us, he does.

**Angel: **Hey, I'd buy that if it was just us. He don't even sit or hang with the other sergeants.

**Dim: **Just doesn't want to talk to anyone, probably.

**Doublewide: **Yeah, make you wonder how he got the nickname of "Scream". He hardly says anything outside battle.

**Tariq:** I can see his point about keeping his distance.

The fire team look at Tariq waiting to find out his logic, when they are distracted by Scream slamming his tray against a trashcan and onto a cart. Then he walks by them without so much as glancing down on them. The team swing their attention back to Tariq.

**Smoke: **You know something about bossman, we don't?

**Tariq: **Maybe. Back when we cleared that other town of insurgents, you know when Smoke got accused of killing those two civilians…

**Mrs. B: **Hold on. Scream's been like this since day one we met him. What that have to do with anything?

**Tariq: **That was only part of it, but it may explain his solitude. I was the next one scheduled after Scream to give a deposition about what happened that day to the captain. I guess I was too close to the tent, cause I overheard Scream tell the captain that he had lost several of his friends because of so-called "civilian interference".

**Angel: **Wow. Man knows what he's doing. Don't want to know anyone too much cause they may not be here when you wake up in the morning.

**Dim: **Probably, Tariq, that's one reason why he keeps his own company, but I think there's more to it. _(pause)_ I think Scream's got deeper personal problems that we haven't touched on yet.

**Smoke: **Ah, shit. Here it comes…more psycho- garble from the Dimwit.

**Doublewide: **Quiet Smoke. Go on, what you know about the sergeant?

**Dim: **This morning, when I went into his tent to get him, he was sitting on his cot staring at a package. He tried hiding it and doesn't think I saw…he had this look on his face, I can't explain it.

**Smoke: **Then don't bring it up, Dimwit.

Unable to interpret what he was thinking that morning outside Scream's tent to the others, Dim shook his head and remain quiet for the rest of the meal.

Afterwards, the team was sitting around outside the male soldiers tent talking when Scream walked up to them.

**Angel: **What's up, Sergeant?

**Scream: **Just wanted to tell you about the good job you did today in town. Don't stay up to late and lay off the bottled water.

Scream turns around when he is stopped in his tracks.

**Tariq: **Thanks, Sergeant. Would you like to join us. We were just talking about some of the tricks we pulled when we were kids. Remember, tonight's Halloween. You did go trick-or treating when you were younger, Sergeant?

**Scream: **The last thing I needed in my life was a sugar buzz. Carry on, team.

On that note, Scream continued onward to his tent. Inside, Scream sat down on his cot momentarily before rising slightly and reaching for his wallet. He opened it and removed a small picture from it. It was a picture of a much younger Scream, possibly 19 or 20. He was standing next to a small blonde-haired boy in a khaki army outfit, his left arm draped around the child's shoulders. In his other arm he held a tiny baby girl in a bunny-suit. Both he and the boy were smiling at the camera and the young boy held up a large bag of Halloween treats. Scream smiled at the picture, took a deep breath trying to pull back tears that were falling from his eyes. He then kissed the picture and held it tightly against his heart. Then he put it under his pillow. Scream pushed his muscular hands across his face to wipe away any signs of tears and gently lowered his head down on his pillow as he pulled his feet, still booted, up on his cot.

**Scream** (_to himself)_Goodnight, my angels.

He reached up and turned out the his light, then squeezed his blanket tightly in hopes of preventing any nightmares from disturbing his sleep…at least for this night.

To be continued. Please read and review.


	3. Scream and the Orphans

**_Christmas Past_**

**A/N: **Most of this part is taken from episode 13, " Orphans". I have added some of my own touches to it, but trust me when I say, it's significant to my story.

_**Part 3**_

"_Flames shot up from what seemed to be everywhere. Smoke filled the air making every breath seem to be the last. A small whining voice is heard through the smoldering room. Reaching, reaching, reaching out to search and coming up empty. Unable to see with his eyes tearing up. His own flesh burning on him when finally he finds what he's been looking for. Unable to catch his own breath much less loan it out to another, but he had to. This was his responsibility, his fault and he had to make things right. Tired and barely conscious, he pulled himself together and started to…"_

A small yelp and Scream is awake in a cold sweat. He wipes his shaken hands over his wet face. Drowsy, but dehydrated, he stubbles to his feet in search of some water. He doesn't know how much longer he can take these nightmares. He's had them for years but lately they seem to be coming more frequently and severe then ever.

Bottled water being as scarce as it was, he knew that he had to preserve it for when his team really needed it, but he had a burning feeling inside him that only the water could satisfy. He took the remainder of his bottle back to his cot and crawled under the blankets, hoping that was it for the nightmares for the night.

The next morning at the mess tent, Scream was seated, as usual, at a table in the corner alone while his team conversed ten feet away. The team talked, what appeared to be among themselves, but actually were discussing the sergeant.

**Angel: **Sarge doesn't look so hot this morning.

**Mrs. B: **Sarge looks hot no matter what, geez.

**Tariq: **I get what Angel means. Think he got any sleep? I walked into him earlier and his eyes had more trails of red in them then the Red Sea.

**Smoke: **I say we go over and find out what the shit's going on with the man firsthand.

**Angel: **If he wants us to know, he'll tell us.

**Dim: **If his problems are going to affect the fire team, we need to know. Let's go.

As the soldiers prepare to stand and confront their leader, a corporal approaches Scream and the sergeant gathers his gear, dumps his tray and follows the corporal out…temporarily deterring the teams efforts to have their first heart-to-heart chat with their squad leader.

Scream enters a tent and is immediately told to have a seat by Captain Baron. The captain gives Scream some ice water and then asks him if his EAS paperwork was missing or an over site.

**Scream: **No, sir. I'm not re-enlisting.

The captain pleads with the sergeant to reconsider, letting him know that he's one of his best staff NCOS and that he's already put in 13 years with only 7 more to go to retire with full benefits.

**Scream: **I'm ready for something new.

**Capt. Baron: **You've got something better on the outside?

Scream explains to his captain that he would be running a friend's carpet business back in Topeka. The captain is doubtful that that is really Scream's main reason for leaving the army since he lets Scream know he's read his file and that Scream isn't from Topeka, but from his own hometown, a fellow Long Islander. He tries to persuade him to stay at least for another 6 years and he'll receive a bonus. But Scream stands his ground and leaves a disappointed captain behind in the tent.

Scream enters the mess tent and orders the male soldiers in his team to fall out beside the hummer parked outside. Riding down the road, Scream is lost in his memories as he scans the locals up and down the dirt street. His team questions their next assignment.

**Smoke: **Someone's being evicted. Homey don't pay, homey got to go.

**Tariq: **I know that. Why are we doing it? Are we working for a landlord now?

Scream tries to make them understand that it's not their government making them do it, it's the Iraqis. They want a new police department and this is the place for it.

As they approach their destination, they are met by a young boy carrying a box. Startled, Scream has the hummer stopped, they get out and take position. He orders the box dropped but the boy refuses. He aims his gun at the boy when a young French woman comes out and grabs the child. Again he orders the box be dropped. She finally complies and tells the saddened boy to put it down. He does and walks away, then Dim takes shot at it. It explodes and to Scream and the other fire team's surprise, it turns out to be a chess set. The woman, known as Sophie, yells at the fire team for destroying the game.

The fire team keep the children busy by handing out candy and Scream tries to convince Sophie to accept the two previous warning notices she had received and vacant the premises. She refuses, explaining that she runs an orphanage and they have no where else to go. Furious that he wasn't able to get through to her after several minutes of arguing, Scream gathers the team up and head back to the base.

The next morning, Scream has his team meet him outside his tent. He orders them to get one of the hummers gassed up and ready to go.

**Dim: **Where we headed?

**Scream: **Outside of town. Got business there. We'll be gone most of the day so have plenty of those _(sarcastically)_ great tasting MRES on hand. DISMISSED!

Scream steps back towards his tent when he's stopped by a private.

**Private: **Sergeant, here's a letter for you.

Scream takes the letter from him and reads it as he goes inside the tent and walks over to his cot. It has the same name on it as all of his other letters along with the customary stamp, "_RETURN TO SENDER"_. He reaches under his bed and pulls out a shoebox. Inside contains a bunch of similar letters, all unopened. He puts it back under the cot and in the process runs his hand across another box. Knowing what it is, he pulls it out and opens it up. Rolling the gift wrap from the package into a ball and holding it in one hand, he opens the package and removes a small card. Scream tears the card in half and throws it on his cot, takes the contents out and places them in a leather strap attached to his leg. As he walks out, he tosses the paper, box and part of the card into a nearby trashcan.

Angel enters the tent searching for Scream. The remaining piece of the card on his cot peeks the soldier's interest and he reads it.

**Angel: **Happy Birthday, Ciara. Hope you get as much enjoyment out of this as I did when I was your age. L…

The rest is torn off causing Angel to check the rack for the rest of it. Hearing Scream yell for the team to mount up, he exits the tent.

On the outskirts of town, Scream goes his own way as the team stand watch for inappropriate, and possibly hostile activity.

They return to the base late that night. Scream hands Dim a package and tells him to give it to the kid when they go back to the orphanage the next day. Scream, once again, walks off alone while the others investigate the package. Dim informs them that it's a chess set. They wonder why he's giving away his chess set.

**Smoke: **Guess he figures, he don't need it no more.

**Angel: **Why's that?

**Smoke: **Brother in the captain's tent said his contract almost done and he didn't re-up.

All but Smoke seemed disappointed that Scream was leaving and worried about who would be their new squad leader. For all his mysteriousness and his brashness, Scream was an alright guy and a decent leader. The thought that someone like Lt. Hunter could be their new squad leader ran a cold chill down their spines.

The following day, the team returns to the orphanage. Scream approaches the building while Dim hands the boy the chess set then sits down and plays a game with him.

Several knocks later and Sophie opens the door and Scream gets her to let him in. He follows her down the hall and stares at the small children inside, constant reminders of his own time growing up in an orphanage. She lets him in a room while she becomes preoccupied. While inside he looks at the photos of her with the children and knows she's dedicated her life to the kids.

When she comes back he tells her that he's got a way of saving her orphanage if she isn't to pigheaded to listen to an American she looks down on. He lets her know that it doesn't make a difference to him cause in ten days he's out of the army and back home. She agrees to hear him out. He tells her that he's found an apartment building outside of town that if he can work it out, she could probably have it and move the children there.

Again she argues with him about why the children should be uprooted again and the officials can put their police station there instead. Scream tries to reason with her that the Iraqi government doesn't want her there and commandeering the orphanage is just an excuse to get her out.

Outside, while the team keeps watch over the grounds, Tariq notices a car keep passing by. Dim excuses himself from the chess game and he and Tariq go to check it out while Angel and Smoke remain outside.

Sophie still refuses to move the children saying that she is just as pigheaded as he is.

**Scream: **Lady, sorry to hear that.

Scream prepares to leave the building when he hears a loud, whistling sound and someone yell. He grabs Sophie and pushes her to the ground. There's an explosion and glass flying. Once it's over, Scream gets up and runs outside, while Sophie checks on the kids.

**Scream: **SOUND OFF, GODDAMN IT!

All four members admit they are fine. Scream tells them to do a walk through the building to see if everyone's alright as another explosion goes off. They make their move when they hear someone crying. A quick glance shows that it's the young boy Dim was playing chess with. The team goes into action. Scream starts medical treatment and calls it in while Tariq gets the first aid kit. Sophie runs out and Smoke grabs her to keep her from getting in the way. Stabilized, the team places the child on stretcher and notify the authorities that they will bring the boy to the medical facility on their vehicle, knowing how seriously injured he is and that it will take 30 minutes for the medvac to reach them. They move him several feet when he stops breathing. They put him down and Scream administers CPR for several minutes. The team, along with Sophie, know it's hopeless but Scream is persistent and keeps trying. He breathes into the little boy's mouth until he has no more air to breath and with Sophie's hand on his shoulder indicating that she knows he's gone, Scream stops. Scream tries to control the tears that are pushing out of his eyes. Before they could show on his face, he gets up and walks away. Scream can't let his team see their leader crying, but it's obvious that this little boy's death devastated the hard-ass sergeant beyond normal capacity. This little boy's death was personal to Scream.

Back at the base, the other members of the fire team take the boy's death hard and none of them are in the mood to do much of anything but sit around quietly. A child's death is always hard, especially during war time, but they couldn't help but notice how deeply Scream was affected by it.

Scream entered the captain's tent and made a deal with him. If the captain intervened to the Iraqi counsel on behalf of the orphanage, then he would reenlist for 6 years without his bonus. Intrigued, the captain agreed but refused to take away the modest sergeant's bonus saying he earned it.

Scream walked outside the tent when the captain stopped him. Waiting for other soldiers to pass them, he put his hand on Scream's shoulder to stop comfort him.

**Capt. Baron: **I know what happened at the orphanage today and I can understand your feelings. I also realize that your decision to remain in the army is because of your own past and your need to help fellow orphans.

Scream seemed surprised by the captain's knowledge of that very little known fact.

**Scream: **Sir, how did…

**Capt. Baron: **Remember, I told you earlier that I read your file. I want you to know that in your place, I don't know if I'd do the same. Give up 6 more years of my life to save a group of kids I don't know, but that's exactly what you did and I've got to say that I am proud of you. That's the kind of men we need in our army. I wish all my staff sergeants were like you. You're a credit to the service.

Scream nods and gives the captain a half smile in return.

**Scream: **Thank you, sir.

**Capt. Baron: **I glad you made the decision to stay. _(pause)_ You're dismissed.

Scream returned to his own tent. He laid on his cot and stared at the canvas above. Noticing that Scream did not come to dinner, his team went to his tent to check on him. They gathered around him. He was aware of their presence but said nothing, so they spoke first.

**Dim: **For what it's worth, sarge. You did all you could to help that child. You didn't give up on him when the rest of us did. Hell, you would still be working on him if she didn't stop you.

**Tariq: **I guess what Dim is trying to say is that we are honored that you're our squad leader, even though it won't be for much longer. We know you'll be leaving in about a week and we'll miss you and we won't ever forget you or what you tried to do for that boy.

**Scream: **What did I do for that boy? Nothing. He's just one more I couldn't save.

The team looked puzzled at each other and hoped that their silence would give Scream room to elaborate. He didn't and that was their cue to leave cause he just wanted to be left alone.

As nightfall came upon the camp, Scream hitched a ride back to the orphanage and informed Sophie that the Iraqi government had a change of heart. She didn't buy that and knew Scream had something to do with them changing their minds. He denied it, but didn't fool her.

**Sophie: **What did you give up?

Scream's big brown eyes dropped and he searched the room, avoiding her question.

**Sophie: **Are you still going home next week?

With hesitation, he shook his head no. Touched by his sacrifice, she caressed his face causing him to flinch at her touch. She removed his head mic and kissed his cheek.

**Sophie: **Merci.

Then she continued to caress, hug and kiss his head. Scream's eyes went sad. He didn't respond to her touch the way a normal soldier would. He was more like a scared 5 year old being comforted by his mother. This was the first time in many years that Scream was looked at as a man and not a soldier, the life he's become accustomed to. He hugged Sophie back and kissed her neck, still with that same sadness and tenderness in his eyes and soul. Finally, giving into feelings he took Sophie over to her bed and gently laid her down as she undid her blouse and worked on her bra, Scream slowly removed his army fatigues. At her urging, Scream lay down next to her and gave himself to this woman and allowed himself to be taken as a man by her.

The next morning, Tariq and Angel approached Dim and Smoke who had been playing chess all night long, finishing up the game that Dim and the boy started. They told the chess players that they had to go pick Scream up at the orphanage.

**Dim: **What's he doing over there this early?

**Tariq: **Question is, why didn't he come home last night?

Smoke sits up and smiles.

**Smoke: **Oooooh.

**Dim **_(smiling)_Sergeant Scream and the strident frog? Right on.

They finish the game as Smoke beats Dim to the Cornell graduate's surprise.

Scream gets dressed as Sophie still in bed, covered by a sheet, smiles at her companion.

**Sophie: **You'll visit?

**Scream: **I think it would be best if the army stays away for awhile.

**Sophie: **Yes, but you are not the army.

Scream takes her hand in his and gently kisses it, before lowering it back on the bed.

**Scream: **Yes, I am. I am the army. I've got to go.

He stands up and gives her a final smile, desperately trying to hide a blush that is fast appearing on his olive complexion face. He leaves the bedroom and continues down the hall when one of the children hands him a black pawn piece from the chess set. He exits outside and walks to his waiting hummer, with Tariq holding the door open and grinning ear to ear at the sergeant. The others all with smiles on their faces, wait patiently as Scream gets comfortable in the passenger seat of the van.

**Smoke: **Sarge, you want to stop for breakfast? Or did you fill up on a croissant?

All but Scream smile at Smoke's remark.

**Scream: **Just drive, Smoke.

As Smoke pulls away, Sophie accompanied by several of the children wave at them. Scream still deep in thought remained silent. He glanced at the mirror and saw them waving. He took the chess piece from the pocket of his Kevlar vest, stared at it and then grasped it securely in his fist. His face read the thoughts that were going on in his mind.

**Scream **_(thinking to himself)_There really is somebody out there that finds me attractive and sees me as a man, not as a soldier. Maybe, could it be possible, that I am lovable after all. I found someone to care about and someone to love me back but at what cost did I have find this out…the life of a small boy.

To be continued. Please read and review.


	4. Scream Vents

_**Christmas Past**_

_**Part 4**_

The fire team's next point of order was to improve relations with Iraqi soldiers since they would be working side-by side with them in helping them clear the next town and to search for an elusive bomber who has already claimed several lives by bombing anyone who got in his way and several people who hadn't, including school buses filled with children, a subject that hit close to home for Scream.

As the four members looked over their Iraqi wards, they were disappointed that they weren't in any shape or properly trained. They were even more aggravated when they were put in charge of re-training them, with Dim as the head trainer.

Scream couldn't help but smirk at Dim when he handed the assignment to him. For once, he had a chance to put Dim to the test. Scream was determined to prove to his geeky soldier that a high-class Cornell education didn't quite prepare him for all tasks in life.

After working with the Iraqi trainees, for two straight days…30 hours total, they were finally starting to show improvement. They were especially pleased with their work when Scream came back and did an inspection on the native troops.

Trained to the best of their ability, the fire-team along with the Iraqi soldiers started their house-to-house search for their prey. They entered one house and with Tariq translating, Scream explained to one family the purpose of the soldiers' visit. Not making any progress, one of the Iraqi soldiers spoke to the older man who lived in the house. This move infuriated Tariq, who attacked his fellow man. Scream ordered them outside. Apparently, the Iraqi soldier made a joke to loosen up the home-owners in hopes they would feel comfortable to talk to them. It was unusual tactic, but one that Scream had no problem with.

The search dragged on for hours, with the team coming up empty handed. They decided to retreat to the back of a truck and have lunch while the Iraqi soldiers stood guard and then they would guard their counterparts so they could eat.

In the back of the truck, Dim started spouting off some useless information that none of the others could give a damn about, which was normal. There was a moment of silence before the conversation began again.

**Angel: **So, sarge, word has it that you reupped?

Scream gave him a death stare.

**Scream: **I don't recall starting a conversation about my personal life.

**Angel: **You didn't. I did.

Smoke and Dim laugh at Angel's cockiness.

**Angel: **I just figured it has something to do with us.

**Scream: **Really? Is that right?

**Angel: **Yeah, you didn't want to leave us cause you loved us so much…or because we loved you so much.

Again Smoke and Dim laugh, but this time Scream gave off a rare full tooth smile, than just shook his head at them.

**Scream: **Not even close. You guys have no goddamn idea. Despite what you believe, it has got nothing to do with you.

Waiting for Scream to continue, the guys finished up their MRES. Scream changed the subject and ordered his men to replace the others on guard duty.

Later at the mess tent for dinner, the fire team were chatting about their so-called food that they were forced to eat or face going hungry that night. Scream made his typical late appearance in the mess tent and to his squad's surprise he sat down at their table, only because there wasn't another empty table in the tent. In Scream's mind, if he had to sit with anyone during meal time, he'd prefer his own team.

**Doublewide: **The more I look at this crap in front of us, the more I can't wait til next week.

**Smoke: **Let's just hope these slob jockeys don't mess that meal up.

**Tariq: **Hey sarge, you were here last year for Thanksgiving. How's the food?

Scream puts down his knife after spreading butter on a slice of bread and stares down at the other end of the table.

**Scream: **Wouldn't know. Didn't eat it then, won't eat it this time.

He continues on with his meal, leaving the others to wonder what the deal with Scream was. He didn't seem to care about Halloween, now Thanksgiving.

**Dim: **I take it you aren't much of a holiday party guy, sarge.

Scream digests the last of his buttered bread and takes a sip of coffee.

**Scream: **I've got other things on my mind, then celebrating some stupid goddamn days that only come once a year.

**Angel: **True, but they give us something nice to look forward to in the middle of all this shit here.

Scream lifts an eyebrow to the troops, finishes his coffee, then quickly jumps to his feet and deposits the remainder of his food, almost a full tray, into a trashcan before storming out of the tent.

**Dim: **I don't think I will understand that man. I've never known someone that was so down on holidays.

**Mrs. B: **Did ya think that maybe he's mad 'cause he stuck here for another Thanksgiving instead of going home with his family?

**Smoke: **He could of . If that the case, why he re-enlist?

After having a refreshing hot shower, Scream plops down on his cot. His hands behind his head, staring at the canvas above. His mind on a different time, a different place as he drifts off to sleep.

"_Scream is sitting at a dinner table with a high-chair, containing a baby girl next to him. On the other side is a small boy and a woman at the other end of the table. On the table, sits the remainder of a large butterball turkey. The woman gets up from her seat. _

_**Lindsay: **Does anyone want anymore turkey, or maybe another slice of pie?_

_**Little Boy: **Want to break bone?_

_**Scream: **You know, CJ, that you have to wait a few days before you break it. It's got to dry out and get hard._

_The little boy's head drops as his eyes fill with tears. Scream smiles and reaches towards the turkey and finds the wishbone. He wipes it clean of turkey and hands one end to the child and holds the other end._

_**Scream: **Make a wish._

_The little boy closes his eyes tightly and within seconds opens them. _

_**CJ: **Got it._

_Before the boys can start to pull, the baby lets out a little giggle._

_**Scream: **You want a piece of this too, Ciara?_

_Scream stood up and lifted the baby into his arms. He positioned her tiny hand on the wishbone and put his over it._

_**Scream: **Let's do it._

_**CJ: **You didn't make a wish yet, daddy._

_**Scream **(looking around at his family)Already got it._

_The three of them started to pull on the wishbone as it finally snapped._

_**CJ: **I win. I get my wish._

_**Lindsay: **What did you wish for?_

_**CJ: **I wish the new baby is a boy._

_**Scream: **So, you want a brother, huh. _

_**Lindsay** (clenching her teeth)One boy in the family is enough._

_Scream gave her a look of anger and disapproval over her comment._

_**Scream: **Come on, Ciara, let's get you to bed._

_**Lindsay: **I'll take her._

_**Scream: **I don't mind. _

_**Lindsay: **You take care of your boy and I'll care for my daughter._

_Lindsay carries the baby into the nursery, with Scream following close behind her._

_**Scream: **Why do you do that?_

_**Lindsay: **Do what? I'm sure I don't have any idea what you're talking about?_

_**Scream: **The fuck you don't. _

_Scream lowered his voice so his kids didn't hear him swearing._

_**Scream: **We didn't make these kids each individually. They are both our children and I love them equally. Ciara is as much my daughter as CJ is your son and you are going to have to start acting like a mother to that boy or he's going to grow up resenting you and it won't be anyone's fault but your own. Is this how you are going to be around the new baby when he's born, if it is indeed a boy?_

_Lindsay placed Ciara in her crib then swung around and with all her strength, slapped Scream across the face."_

Scream jumped up off his cot, sweating like a pig and shaken. He started to hyperventilate and quickly ran for the tent exit. He paced quickly, increasing his stride with each step, until he was able to gain control of his breathing again. He sat down in a chair, held his head in his hands and rocked back and forth.

The team which had gathered nearby caught sight of the sergeant's actions and made tracks to him.

**Doublewide: **Sarge, what the hell happened?

**Angel: **You okay there, sarge?

**Scream: **Fine, why do you ask?

**Smoke: **Uh, maybe cause it's not everyday you come flyin' out of your digs, breathing like you just ran a fucking marathon.

**Mrs. B: **Was it something we said at dinnertime?

**Scream: **What are you talking about?

**Mrs. B: **You feeling alright? You keep holding your head and can't seem to sit still there. I ain't seen someone rock like that since I went home and saw my kid go at it.

**Scream: **Just a headache. Not any of your goddamn problem.

**Tariq: **We were thinking that maybe we upset you talking about Thanksgiving and you couldn't get home to your family for another one, but you could if you didn't reup…so that can't be what's wrong.

**Scream: **It's not. First off, I've got no reason to go home. No family and second that's not why I decided to stay.

**Smoke **_(smiling)_ So, it is because you love us then.

**Scream: **I TOLD YOU, YOU AIN'T NO FUCKING REASON TO STAY IN THIS SHITHOLE FOR ONE MORE SECOND MUCH LESS ANOTHER YEAR! I HAD TO SAVE THE KIDS! I OWED IT TO THEM! I HAD TO MAKE IT UP TO THEM BY DOING SOMETHING GOOD!

The team looks at each other confused.

**Doublewide: **Anyone know what he's talking about?

**Scream: **THE GODDAMN ORPHANAGE! I HAD TO KEEP IT OPEN! COULDN'T LET THE KIDS BE THROWN ON THE STREET!

The team could see how agitated Scream was getting, so they took seats on the ground and waited silently hoping he would calm down enough to tell them what was going on.

Ten minutes passed, in complete silence and Scream began to settle down. His rocking motion slowed down until he stopped completely. He lifted his head up out of his hands to see that his team was still with him. He took a deep breath, then one by one looked at them straight in the eyes.

**Scream: **I grew up in an orphanage. I never knew my parents. When I was just 3 months, they were killed in a plane crash when we came over here from Italy. I winded up in an orphanage in Long Island.

Scream started to wet his dry lips with his tongue.

**Scream: **I was colicky as a baby…more than most babies. Right after I turned six months, I was diagnosed as hyperactive and encourage able, not the kind of kid anyone would want to adopt…no matter how small a baby. That meant no home for Chris. I spent most of my life doing the foster care shuffle.

**Dim: **I knew there was a reason why you took an interest in that orphanage over here.

**Smoke: **And it had nothing to do with that French fry you spent the night with.

**Scream: **As dilapidated as that place was, it was still a better place for a child to grow up then where I did. At least, she cared about and loved those kids. Me on the other hand, no one loved me…not the way they were suppose to. I never stayed in any home long enough to need a change of clothes.

**Doublewide: **What was so bad about the homes?

Scream raised his head up and looked at the sorrowful, but interested faces of his squad.

**Scream: **They were abusive.

**Angel: **How were they abusive?

**Scream: **Let's just leave it at abusive, guys. That's about all I can handle for now. Anyway, as Dim has pointed out on several occasions, I was not the brightest bulb in the pack. I barely made it through high school.

**Dim: **I didn't mean anything by it, but you're not stupid, sarge.

**Scream: **Never thought I was stupid, just my…well, they didn't call it ADHD back then…my ability to find trouble affected my thinking. I managed to graduate and when I turned 18, I was no longer considered a ward of the state so the orphanage opened the door and sent me on my way with a suitcase full of clothes, and the customary $100 savings bond.

**Mrs. B: **Geez, that's it.

**Scream: **I was alone on the street with no working experience and a somewhat high school education. During one of my journeys up and down the street, I came across a sign for an army recruitment office…and here I am.

**Angel: **And thank god you are cause we'd all be dead if we didn't have you for a squad leader.

Scream looked around at his troop smiling at him and nodding their heads. He rubbed his weary eyes, took a deep breath and shot up on his feet.

**Scream: **AND DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING FORGET IT! FOR YOUR GODDAMN SAKES, YOU'RE LUCKY I DIDN'T STICK WITH BEING A MEDIC IN THE ARMY LIKE I WAS WHEN I FIRST JOINED! NOW, AS YOUR GODDAMN LEADER, I'M TELLING YOU TO GET THE HELL TO YOUR TENTS, IT'S LIGHTS OUT! YOU OUGHT TO KNOW BETTER THAN TO STAND AROUND AND GODDAMN STICK YOUR NOSES IN OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS! DISMISSED!

Scream re-entered his tent as the team gathered their drinks and prepared to go to sleep.

**Smoke: **What the fuck was that about? What the shit we do to him but listen to his pathetic story?

**Tariq: **Scream appreciated it too. That's just his way.

**Dim: **Yeah, he doesn't want us to know that we did him a favor letting him vent.

**Mrs. B: **Yeah, maybe he'll soften up a bit now that he got that all off his chest.

**Scream: **YOU FUCKING DEAF! I GIVE AN ORDER I EXPECT IT TO BE FOLLOWED. NOW GET BACK TO YOUR GODDAMN TENTS BEFORE I HAVE YOU CLEANING OUT EVERY LATRINE ON THE BASE!

The team look at each other. They shake their heads.

**Fireteam: **NAH!

To be continued. Please read and review.


	5. Rescue Mission

**_Christmas Past_**

_**Part 5**_

The next morning, the fire team regrouped with the Iraqi soldiers, still trying to locate the elusive bomber. They went from house to house and continued to question civilians.

At nightfall, back on the base, gunshots were heard causing chaos on the base.

**Scream: **Cease Fire, Cease Fire. Goddamn it. What the hell is going on? Who's shooting?

**Tariq: **I don't know, sergeant. Someone started running.

**Angel: **Someone said they saw someone running.

Footsteps approaching Scream cause him to raise his gun and through his NVGs he sees that it's the lieutenant.

**Lt. Hunter: **Whoa. They're not running now cause they got away already.

**Scream: **Did you start the shooting, sir?

**Lt. Hunter: **Yeah, I did. Cause I saw someone run.

**Scream: **Did you hit them?

**Lt. Hunter: **No, I didn't.

**Scream** _(under his breath)_Thank god.

**Lt. Hunter: **What was that, sergeant?

**Scream: **There's our men on watch, sir.

**Lt. Hunter: **I know that.

**Scream: **Then don't go shooting at shadows when there's our men out there on watch. You want to kill one of your own guys?

**Lt. Hunter: **How fucking dare you.

**Scream: **SOUND OFF, GODDAMN IT! DEATH STREET, FIRST!

The following day, the search continued. While in position, staking out a suspicious area in the middle of a town, not far from the base, Scream spies a young boy running across the open area. He was obviously trying to get away from the soldiers. The team give chase and as one of the Iraqis take aim, Scream orders him to drop his gun and not to shoot. Another Iraqi soldier caught up with the boy and tackled him. The boy tried to convince them that he had no idea about the bomber. Scream ordered him flex-tied and taken to the lieutenant.

Lt. Hunter grilled him and with the help of one of the Iraqi soldiers, they found out where he lived. They took him home and searched the house. After coming up empty, they left disappointed, but Bashir, one of the Iraqi soldiers noticed on the table that there was a jar of Nutella. Later, he lets the fire-team that growing up in London, he's eaten it, it's very expensive swiss chocolate special and he's never seen it in Iraq before. The homeowners could either buy it or add on another room. They are probably hiding someone there. The team agrees to notify Scream.

They quietly leave the base and head for the house. Scream orders his team to group up and Tariq notices that the building looks bigger on the outside than it did when they were inside.

**Scream: **Tariq, thinks there may be an extra room, behind the wall or something like with Anne Frank.

**Smoke: **Anne Frank?

**Scream: **Like a little crawl space a person can live in. What do you think, Bashir?

**Bashir: **It's the biggest house in the village. If I were a well financed bomber, this is the one I'd take and the kid we caught lived here.

**Scream: **When I say hit it, Smoke, I want you to kick the front door in. Make it loud.

**Smoke: **Roger that, sarge.

**Scream: **Take up your positions again, but quietly. We want to take them by surprise…

Just then Lt. Hunter runs up behind them.

**Lt. Hunter: **DAMN IT, SERGEANT! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS! I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO BE PART OF ANY BREAKTHROUGH!

Out of the shadows, comes an insurgent throwing a grenade. The team ducks for cover.

**Scream: **Tariq, Bashir, you okay? Go after him. Smoke, you bust in there anyway. Dim, you and Angel go with him. Round everyone up inside, flex-tied and on the floor.

Lt. Hunter and Scream take off after Tariq and Bashir. Lt. Hunter bends down into position and aims his gun at their own men. Scream seeing where the gun is aimed, runs by and knocks the lieutenant down on his face.

**Scream: **Sorry, sir.

The two Iraqi soldiers fire and the bomber goes down. Lt. Hunter catches up with the team.

**Scream: **GODDAMN IT, BASHIR, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. YOU TOO, TARIQ. YOU'RE A CREDIT TO THE GODDAMN ARMY!

**Lt. Hunter: **What the hell was that, sergeant?

**Scream** _(sarcastically)_CONGRATULATIONS, LT. THIS WILL LOOK VERY GOOD ON YOUR RECORD, SIR!

As the team returns to base, all are exhausted and make their ways to their tents. Scream takes off his helmet, his mic and then he unlaces his boots, when a private enters his quarters.

**Private: **Captain Baron wants to see you, sergeant.

Scream ties his laces again and marches over to the Captain's tent.

**Scream: **You wanted to speak with me, sir.

**Captain Baron: **Enter. I just spoke with Lt. Hunter. He says you interfered with his apprehending of the bomber. Is that true, sergeant?

**Scream: **No, sir. I prevented him from killing our own men and letting the bomber get away.

**Captain Baron: **Did he? The bomber, get away?

**Scream: **No, but not because of the lieutenant. That was the fast work of my men. Sir, If I may…

**Captain Baron: **Go on.

**Scream: **Someone needs to have a talk with the lieutenant. His cowboy ways are going to get someone killed. He's out of control, sir. A loose cannon. That's all I'm saying.

**Captain Baron: **Thank you, sergeant, for the word of advise. One other thing, sergeant…you haven't been taking any of your R&R. I know how you are around the holidays, so if you want to get away from here for awhile, I can arrange it. You've certainly earned it. Word from HQ is that the firing has ceased in this sector as of now, well at least it should within the next few days. You've got at least two weeks worth of furlough coming to you. Should I sign your paperwork?

**Scream: **No, thank you sir. If it's all the same, I'd rather stay here with my team.

**Captain: **You don't want to go back to states and visit your family?

**Scream: **No, sir. I'm fine here.

**Captain: **It's your decision. If you change your mind, let me know.

**Scream: **Yes, sir. I doubt I will.

**Captain: **You're dismissed.

The next night, the fire-team are chasing several insurgents across a field. Lt. Hunter fires at the enemy.

**Lt. Hunter: **Like shooting fish in a barrel.

**Tariq: **I thought you didn't want us firing yet, sergeant.

**Scream: **I don't.

**Lt. Hunter: **Run, rabbit, run. Keep up with them…both teams.

An insurgent falls down in front of the team.

**Scream: **Smoke, Angel, get this loser into flex ties.

Lt. Hunter fires another shot and an insurgent goes down.

**Lt. Hunter** _(to himself)_Good work. Let's go, let's go. Stay with them. I'll come back later and cut a keepsake off that mook later.

**Scream: **Lt., you have a hot mic.

**Lt. Hunter: **So what.

**Scream: **I don't like the look of this.

**Lt. Hunter: **What's wrong with the look of this?

**Scream: **It's too goddamn easy, sir.

**Lt. Hunter: **You rather it be hard.

**Scream: **I'd rather I knew where these 2 were taking us.

**Lt. Hunter: **They are running for their lives.

**Scream: **They are running us towards something and I can feel it.

**Lt. Hunter: **You can feel it? What the hell does that mean?

The last of the insurgents running from the team drops down and from behind mounds of dirt, pop under a new slew of insurgents. They were run into an ambush.

**Scream: **HIT THE DECK!

Two more of Lt. Hunter's men go down, but all of Scream's men are okay. The lieutenant sprains his shoulder.

**Lt. Hunter: **I'm hurt.

**Scream: **Let's figure a way to flank these son of bitches. Lt. you want us to go on ahead of you?

**Lt. Hunter: **I think I sprained my shoulder.

**Scream: **He thinks he sprained his shoulder.

**Dim: **You think about euthanasia?

**Scream: **I thought about mercy killing.

**Dim: **Euthanasia is mercy killing.

**Scream: **DIM, YOU GODDAMN CORRECT ME ONE MORE TIME, I'LL EUTHANIZE YOU!

As dawn approaches, an angry Scream is with Captain Baron in his tent.

**Scream: **I'm requesting that Lt. Underpants be reassigned. He's lost the confidence of the men. He's no longer able to lead.

**Captain: **Lt. Underpants?

**Scream **_(rolling his eyes)_ I mean Lt. Hunter, sir.

Puzzled, the captain inquires about the lieutenant's nickname and how it came about. Scream explained the rumor was because of his Red Calvin Kleins that he has shipped from back home.

Against his own thoughts, Captain Baron tells Scream that he can't just reassign a lieutenant in the U.S Army simply because one of his squad leaders has a problem with him.

**Scream: **With all due respect, why not? He's dangerous in the field.

**Captain: **You may not like him, but you'll have to put up with him. _(pause)_ For what it's worth, I don't like him either.

**Scream: **Thank you, sir.

Out of curiosity, the captain asks Scream what they call him.

**Scream: **I believe they call you "The Duke", sir.

**Captain: **The Duke, why?

**Scream: **Cause your name is Baron. I think they thought you deserved a grander title.

**Captain: **A duke is better than a baron, then?

**Scream: **As far as I know, yes sir.

**Captain: **You're dismissed.

Two days later, a civilian convoy is sent out down the most dangerous stretch of road. The fire-team is sent along to protect it. In the road, stands a small boy waving his arms. The lieutenant tells Doublewide to run him over because the Iraqis use children to stall convoys. She refuses so he shoots him. Moments later, a sharp whistle is heard in the air.

**Scream: **INCOMING!

A RPG is fired at one of the civilian trucks. The team is told by the lieutenant to pull over. Scream, knowing that they are about to get ambushed again, reluctantly tells Doublewide to pull over and for everyone to get out of the van. Barely cleared from the van and another RPG comes in contact with it and blows it sky high.

The lieutenant gathers up the men and tells them to prepare for a fight. They have to get the panel truck back. Scream can hear several of the civilian drivers, taking their last breath through his radio. The lieutenant also hears it but doesn't care. He's too occupied with getting back the panel truck. The team heads down the road, with their guns drawn. Seeing no activity, they head for the panel truck.

**Angel: **We passed up a lot of injured civilian drivers back there. Hope there's a good reason for that, don't you sarge?

**Scream: **YOU'RE GODDAMN RIGHT, I DO!

The lieutenant opens the panel truck and reveals money, $340 million dinars. Scream, along with his team, become very infuriated.

**Scream: **The money truck.

**Lt. Hunter: **Comes in every week. Ever hear of the bottom line.

Dim freaks out and starts yelling at the lieutenant that it wasn't worth him giving up four of his own men and the civilian drivers to protect the money. Not liking the soldiers attitude, the lieutenant orders Scream to arrest him. Scream refuses and just then another RPG hit's the panel truck. The soldiers recover but find themselves in middle of another fire fight. When it's over, they look at the money on the ground, then stand up from their positions. Scream, is the only one on the road standing behind the lieutenant when the others join him. They look on the ground and see a body.

**Smoke: **It's Lt. Underpants. He was shot in the back.

Back at the base, the captain has Scream and his team lined up telling them that there will be an investigation into the lieutenant's death but they will probably find that no one is at fault. The captain stands up and walks up in front of Scream.

**Captain: **It was friendly fire. He died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and not because you didn't like him, right.

Scream nods.

**Scream: **Yes, sir.

**Captain: **And we deeply regret his passing.

Scream hesitates but eventually nods in agreement. The captain dismisses them.

The team gather outside and start a campfire. They sit around it drinking beer that somehow Smoke manage to get hold of. Each team member denies having shot the lieutenant, with the exception of Scream. However, Dim has his doubts whether he shot him or not, Scream quickly changes the subject.

**Dim: **I don't think I shot him, but those last few minutes…

**Scream: **Tell it to your shrink.

The team looks at Scream.

**Scream: **I mean, goddamn it, tell it to your shrink in a couple of years.

Scream puts his empty beer bottle down and stands up from his seat.

**Scream: **It's the lucky ones that live to feel guilty. Goodnight.

He walks off as Dim starts to say a prayer for his team.

Thanksgiving morning, as the other soldiers are getting prepared for their first real dinner since coming to that shithole, Scream remained alone in his tent.

Dim and Tariq entered the mess tent and joined the rest of Rawhide 1.

**Angel: **Any luck with Scream?

**Dim: **Just when I thought I had him figured out, he pulls this shit again.

**Mrs. B: **I really thought once he told us about being an orphan, that he would loosen up and feel more comfortable around us. Guess not.

**Doublewide: **Something else is going on there. Think if we ask, he'll tell us?

**Smoke: **Shit no. He didn't want tell us what he did. We ain't getting nothing more out of him.

**Tariq: **Still worth a try. We'll take him a plate later. Maybe he'll be in a more talkative mood.

**Dim: **Doubt it. He doesn't like anyone asking about his personal life. Guess he don't trust us enough to open up about whatever is going on with him.

**Doublewide: **He's got to eat. I don't know anyone who don't like Thanksgiving. He's like this now, what's going to happen at Christmas?

**Tariq: **I'm sure we'll find out.

Meanwhile, Scream sits in his tent. His eyes fixed on the canvas over his head. His mind wandering back several years.

"_Scream is dressed in scrubs, positioned by a bedside. In the bed, is Lindsay. Her face red and covered in sweat, her voice ear-piercing screams._

_**Scream: **Come on, Linds…one more push, we'll almost there._

_**Lindsay: **We? Seems to me, I'm doing all the work. Then again, pal, you did your part alr…..OUCH, OH GOD…_

_**Doctor: **Deep breaths, Lindsay. Not too much more. I can see the head. I'm just easing the shoulders out. (pause) Alright, this is it. I need one giant push from you and we're just about there._

_**Scream: **Push, one more time. Do it…_

_Scream is interrupted by cries of a newborn. The newest addition to the Silas family._

_**Doctor: **Congratulations, it's a boy._

_Scream's face was one of joy, while Lindsay's was less enthusiastic. Scream stared at his new son, while he was being cleaned off by the nurses. When the nurses had him wrapped up in the blanket, they brought the baby over to his parents. They handed him to Lindsay, but she quickly turned away from it, so Scream reached out for him. Holding his third child in his arms, he couldn't resist smiling and laughing down at the newborn. Then he looked over at his wife and a look of complete fear entered his eyes."_

Scream shook off the memory and left the tent. He went over to the exercise room and being how it was Thanksgiving, he had the place to himself. He immediately stripped off his shirt, adjusted the weights properly on the bar then laid down on the bench. He started pumping, trying desperately to concentrate on his reps and not the memories that haunted his waking hours just as much as they did his sleeping hours.

As dark set in, the team, with plate in hand, headed to the sergeant's tent only to find it empty. Realizing, he had to come back sooner or later, they left the plate on the table next to his cot and went back to their own tents.

Scream, worn out from pumping iron for last few hours, headed back to his quarters. His scarred but muscular body, sweaty and very shiny glowed in the moonlight. He threw his shirt over his shoulder and wiped his damp face with a towel. When he entered his tent, he couldn't help but notice the ready-made plate for him. He shook his head at it, picked it up and carried it out to the back of his tent. He was searching around, when he heard a scrapping noise. He paused momentarily, wondering if he should get his gun, when out of the darkness came a small puppy. Scream let out a little laugh, then knelt down.

**Scream **_(scratching the puppy's ears)_What are you doing out here, fella? That's a good way of getting yourself shot. You must be hungry. Got just what you need here.

Scream put his dinner plate on the ground and let the dog chow down.

**Scream: **You probably have more to be thankful for than I do, so this is rightfully yours. Enjoy.

Then Scream retreated to his tent for another not so peaceful night.

Two weeks later and the temporary cease fire is still on. Scream enters Captain Baron's tent.

**Scream: **Do you have a moment, sir?

**Captain: **Sure, enter.

**Scream: **Does the captain know how much longer the cease fire will remain in effect?

**Captain: **No idea. I'm calling HQ later today and with any luck, they will tell me that we won't see any real action until the new year.

The captain turns and faces his desk. He returns with something in his mouth.

**Captain: **Sorry sergeant, candy. My wife usually sends me some when I'm away for Christmas.

The captain stretches out his arm, offering the jar over to the sergeant.

**Scream: **No thank you, sir. Haven't had a cavity yet, don't want to start now. About the cease fire.

**Captain: **Yes, uh…did you want to arrange for your R&R now, sergeant?

**Scream: **That's exactly what I want to talk to you about.

Scream and Captain have a long chat when the captain asks one of privates to send in the rest of the Rawhide 1 squad.

The other team members line up on either side of Scream.

**Captain: **At ease. First off, anyone want some candy. Homemade butterscotch, my wife's.

He holds out the candy jar and the team helps themselves to some.

**Captain: **The reason I called you here is I believe we are going to have a calm holiday season ahead of us. I'll know for sure later today. Anyway, most of the soldiers on the base will be using their leave to go back home. Unfortunately, none of you qualify just yet for leave, so I've decided to have a small Christmas party here on the base for you.

**Dim: **That's very nice of you, Captain, but unnecessary…

**Captain: **Let me rephrase that. We are inviting the local orphanage here for the party and you WILL make it nice for them. Am I right?

**Rawhide 1: **Yes, sir.

**Captain: **Also, anyone who wants to maybe contribute to the food buffet is welcome to use the mess kitchen, you can go into town for supplies and the email lines will be open extra long for your convenience. Any questions?

The captain pops another butterscotch candy in his mouth while he awaits an answer.

**Rawhide 1: **No sir, and thank you.

**Captain: **Dismis…

Before the captain can finish, he goes speechless. He grabs at his throat and starts coughing.

**Angel: **Sergeant, what the hell?

**Scream: **GODDAMN IT! HE'S CHOKING ON THE CANDY!

Scream runs behind his friend and mentor and grabs him around the chest. Applying the Heimlich Maneuver on him, he tries to force the candy out.

**Scream: **GODDAMN IT, THIS AIN'T WORKING! DOUBLEWIDE, GO GET MY ICOM OFF MY COT!

Doublewide takes off out of the tent. Scream continues to pull on the captain's chest, periodically smacking his back. After five minutes, the candy is finally dislodged, but the captain has lost consciousness. Scream lays him on the ground and checks his breathing. As he opens the captain's mouth, blood starts pouring out. Scream leans down to the captain's mouth.

**Smoke: **Shit, what the fuck…man?

**Scream: **The candy was hard enough and caught in his throat too long that it probably ruptured a blood vessel. His throat is filled with blood. He can't breathe. I'm going to have to trache him. Tariq, go get me a first aid kit.

Tariq leaves and bumps into Doublewide coming in. She hands the ICOM to Scream.

**Scream: **Dim, take this. Call for a medevac. We got to get him to the hospital.

Scream pulls out his pen knife as Tariq returns with the first aid kit.

**Scream: **I'm going to need a tube of some sorts.

**Smoke: **Like a straw. I've got one here.

**Scream: **Too much blood. It's won't hold up. A pen. Look for one.

The unoccupied members of the team go on a hunt.

**Mrs. B: **GOT ONE, ON THE CAPTAIN'S DESK.

**Scream: **Good. Someone empty out the contents and cut off the end. Then soak it some water to sterilize it the best you can.

Mrs. B goes to work on the pen while Scream gets the captain in position.

**Doublewide: **You know what you're doing, sergeant?

**Scream: **Hope so. If any of you have a better idea, let's hear it.

The team looks at each other and shake their heads.

**Smoke: **Go for it, man.

Scream makes a small incision in the captain's throat. He feels a small hole and some tissue around it. Cutting the tissue is difficult but he manages, just as Mrs. B prepares the pen. He takes it from her but notices it's not entirely clean. There's still ink in the cylinder.

**Scream: **Smoke, take that straw, cut it to fit inside the pen shaft.

Smoke slices down the straw and slides it in. He hands it to Scream. Scream inserts it into the captain's throat.

**Scream: **Tariq, quick get me some gauze and pack it around the wound. Slow down the bleeding. Now, if I'm not mistaken the tissue should start to form around the tube and he should start…

The captain takes his first deep breath after almost eight minutes without air. He continues to take steady breaths. The team smiles at Scream and pat him on the back.

**Angel: **Nice going, sergeant. How did you learn how to do that?

**Scream: **Use to watch a lot of ER on the base tv. I just hope we were in time and he didn't go to long without oxygen.

Three minutes go by and the medevac arrives on scene. The medics check out the still unconscious captain and access his condition. Amazed at the tracheotomy performed on him, they praise Scream before carrying the captain into the medevac unit. Scream goes to the base hospital with him. The rest of the team takes their own deep breaths and slowly return to their tents, silently praying that they were able, for the first time since arriving in Iraq, to save a life instead of taking one.

To be continued. Please read and review.


	6. Yes, Rawhide 1, There is a Santa Claus!

**_Christmas Past_**

_**Part 6**_

During dinner, the fire-team gathered at the usual table.

**Mrs. B: **Anyone hear about the Captain?

**Smoke: **Nah, Scream ain't back yet.

**Angel: **Hope everything is okay with the captain. As officers go, he's alright.

**Smoke: **Shit yeah, compared to that fucking lieutenant they stuck our shit with.

**Tariq: **Dim, what's up? You've been pretty quiet down there.

**Smoke: **Let's not screw up a good thing, huh.

**Dim: **I know I act like I know everything in front of you guys, but I've got to say, that I am very grateful that Scream was there when that happened with the captain. I wouldn't have known what to do.

**Smoke: **You mean there something out there you don't know, hot shot?

**Dim: **Medicine has never been my forte.

**Smoke: **Your what, dimwit?

**Dim: **Never mind. Scream saved the captain and that's what counts.

**Angel: **He was awesome, wasn't he? He knew exactly what he was doing.

**Doublewide: **Now, if we can just figure out what Scream's problem is…

**Tariq: **The guy just doesn't like holidays, big deal. Let's just drop it.

**Doublewide: **I'm telling you guys, it's more than that.

Doublewide starts tapping her fingers on the table and looks down at her vest.

**Mrs. B: **You know, something we don't.

The others watch as Doublewide pulls something from the pocket of her vest.

**Doublewide: **Remember, Scream said he don't have a family.

The others nod their heads, yes. She then hands them a picture.

**Doublewide: **Then you tell me, who are those two kids with him?

**Angel: **Where'd you get this at?

**Doublewide: **When Scream sent me back to his tent for his radio. It was on his cot. I guess the wire was wrapped around his pillow cause when I lifted it up I pulled the pillow off and this picture was under it. Now, that's definitely the sarge in the picture.

**Tariq: **A lot younger, but yeah that's him.

**Mrs. B: **What's he hiding and why?

**Smoke: **Somethin that ain't none of our business.

**Doublewide: **Why didn't he tell us about his kids. They're adorable.

**Dim: **We don't even know if they are his. They could be his niece and nephew or godchildren.

**Angel: **I'll buy the godchildren part, but he said he was an orphan. He didn't mention having a brother or sister.

**Dim: **He didn't mention the kids either, but here they are. Maybe he found his long-lost siblings later on in life.

**Smoke: **I don't know nothing about what the sarge got going on in his life. I do know you better put that picture back where you found it. If he come back and see it missing, he'll be havin us doin' push-ups til Easter.

**Dim: **For once, Smoke's right. Put it back, Doublewide. We can't let him know that we found it.

After dinner, Doublewide did place the picture back underneath Scream's pillow and left his tent before he or any other sergeant walked in on her.

At revelry, Scream had his team fall out for calisthenics. Two hours later, the team was dismissed and each went for their canteens. Scream was speaking with another captain when he was waved over by his squad.

**Scream: **Something you need, soldiers?

**Dim: **We were just wondering how the captain was doing?

**Scream: **He's going to be fine. He was just starting to wake up when I left. He'll be there for a few days for observation and once they reverse the trache, he'll be back here…good as new.

**Angel: **Thanks to you, sarge.

**Scream: **We all had a hand in it. Didn't do it alone.

**Dim: **But you could of. You did a great job.

**Smoke: **Where you learn that from, sarge?

**Scream: **Told you. I watch a lot of tv shows about hospitals…

**Tariq: **I do too, but I wouldn't have known how to perform a tracheotomy on anyone from the television.

**Doublewide: **Give it up, sarge. How you do it?

**Scream: **You guys don't listen to shit that I say, that's why I don't tell you nothing. I remember telling you I started in the army as a medic.

**Mrs B: **Yeah, you did. Why you give it up?

**Scream: **Got my reasons and WHEN THEY GODDAMN BECOME ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS I'LL BE SURE TO LET YOU GODDAMN KNOW! NOW HIT THE SHOWERS, ALL OF YOU! THE TEMPORARY CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN NICHOLS WANT YOU POSTED AT HIS TENT IN TWENTY MINUTES! NOW GODDAMN MOVE IT!

Knowing that Scream was probably still upset over his friend's condition, they didn't want to get anymore on his bad side. They immediately headed for the showers and made sure they were at the captain's quarters in under twenty minutes.

**Captain Nichols: **Rawhide 1, at ease. Your sergeant here, tells me you aren't afraid of hard work. Well, I'm going to put you to the test. Since most of the other details have left the base or will be leaving soon, that leaves you here to do some of the clean up work. Until my predecessor, Captain Baron, returns…your asses are mine. And if you ain't soldiers yet, you will be when he gets back.

**Dim: **Sir, I thought we were at cease time. Isn't this our down time?

The captain walks up and gets in Dim's face.

**Captain Nichols: **In case you hadn't notice, boy…we have a war going on here. There is no such a thing as down time. We have to be prepare under any circumstance for the enemy to attack. I took a tour of your sorry ass base, and you ain't hardly ready. There are tents to be secured to the ground, ditches to be dug, weapons to be cleaned, ammo to be checked. DO YOU READ ME, SOLDIERS!

**Rawhide 1: **YES SIR!

**Captain Nichols: **THEN WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE FOR! GET THE FUCK OUT AND START WORKING! NOW!

The team took off and began their scut work. Scream hung back with the captain.

**Scream: **Now, maybe that will fucking get them off my back and leave me the hell alone for awhile anyway. Captain, permission to send an email, sir?

**Captain Nichols: **Permission granted. Then I want you back to supervise your team, given that this was your idea to begin with. Dismissed.

An hour later and Scream inspected his team's work areas. Watching how hot and sweaty they were getting, made Scream flash one of his rare smiles at them.

**Smoke: **Glad you find this so fuckin funny, sarge.

**Scream: **You don't goddamn think I didn't have to do shit duty too when I was a private. I paid my dues, now you have to pay yours.

**Angel: **Thought we were suppose to be taking it easy.

**Doublewide: **At least, when Captain Baron was here we were.

**Scream: **You guys don't get it, do you? By now I would have thought that you knew you don't get shit in this world without working for it.

**Tariq: **So, what do we get for doing this besides blisters and sunburn.

**Scream: **Your goddamn Christmas party. You still want that, right? Or should I tell the captain to cancel the steak and roast beef dinner he's having prepared for you. Not to mention the presents.

On that note, the fire-team double timed on their work.

**Scream: **That's more like it. MOTIVATION!

By the end of the week, the team was so exhausted by the time mail call was announced, that none of them moved. That was always the one thing they looked forward to each day in the shit hole, but having been out in the shit hole more than they'd like this week made them little enthusiastic.

The team finally got their second wind and went outside just as mail call was about over. The final piece of mail was a large package.

**Mail Clerk: **This one here is for Captain Baron. Guess we'll put it aside.

**Scream: **I'll take that. We've been expecting it.

**Mail Clerk: **Sergeant, you know I can't release any mail into the non-owner's hand.

**Scream: **Hand it over, private. I'll take full responsibility.

The mail clerk did as his out-ranked superior told him too. Scream carried the large package by his team, who were just dying to know what the hell was in it, and what the big mystery was.

Shortly before dinner that night, Scream and Rawhide 1 was summoned to the captain's quarters. All were thrilled when they walked in and saw Captain Baron back. Captain Baron had a small bandage over his throat from the tracheotomy reversal, and wasn't able to talk very much or loudly. Other than that, he was almost one hundred percent again.

**Dim: **Captain sir, you're looking well.

**Captain Baron: **I'm feeling much better, thank you.

**Smoke: **Glad to have you back, sir, like you never believe. So glad.

**Captain Baron: **I'm glad to be back, which is why I called you here. I hear I have you to thank for my being anywhere, except a graveyard, Sergeant.

**Scream: **Good thing we were here.

**Captain Baron: **They told me back at the hospital that if you didn't do the trache, I would have never made it. I guess I owe you my life, Sergeant.

**Scream: **It wasn't just me, sir. We all had a part in saving you. I cannot, and will not take full credit for doing it alone.

**Angel: **Don't let his modesty fool you sir, he was great. A real hero.

**Scream: **GODDAMN IT, I AM NO HERO! STOP SAYING THAT I AM! I DID MY JOB, IS ALL! I AM JUST HAPPY THAT EVERYTHING TURNED OUT ALRIGHT FOR YOU, SIR! LET'S JUST DROP IT!

**Captain Baron: **As you wish, sergeant. Let me just say that if there's anything you need, sergeant, let me know.

**Scream: **Appreciate it, sir. I'm fine. Anything else, sir.

**Captain: **No, that about covers it. I just wanted you to see that I was alright and to privately thank you. Dismissed.

The team left the tent, with Scream lagging in the back.

**Scream: **By the way, sir. The package we've been waiting for arrived earlier. It's in your closet.

**Captain: **Thank you, sergeant. I'll open it later and you'll have to let me know what you think.

**Scream: **I'm no expert on things like that.

**Captain: **You'll do fine. The others don't know what we've prepared for them for Christmas, do they?

**Scream: **Not that I know, sir. Christmas is in three days so I hope everything comes off as planned, sir.

**Captain: **The orphanage, what about them?

**Scream: **I've spoken with the French caretaker, Sophie, I think her name is. She is very grateful that we are doing this for her kids.

**Captain: **Funny, when I mentioned it to her before she wanted nothing to do with us. She said the soldiers frightened the children.

**Scream: **I had another chat with her. She's delighted.

**Captain: **I'll bet.

**Scream: **Sorry, sir.

**Captain **_(smiling)_I had heard that you had some "_special influence"_ over her.

**Scream: **I'm sure I don't know what you mean. Permission to leave, sir.

**Captain: **Permission granted, Sergeant "Stud".

Christmas Eve morning arrived, and most of the camp was decorating for the party tonight. Those that weren't decorating, were in the mess kitchen preparing the food. Scream had left the base earlier to bring the orphans there.

**Dim: **You guys think we'll see Scream tonight at the party?

**Angel: **Captain Baron said appearance was mandatory. I don't think he can get out of it.

**Tariq: **He may not want to, given who one of the guests will be.

**Doublewide: **Who's that?

The male soldiers smile at each other.

**Doublewide: **Oh, you mean the lady caretaker. I got you. She'll cheer him up.

**Dim: **If he keeps up his attitude that he's had the past two holidays, she may not want to be around him either.

**Smoke: **If she don't do the trick, no one will.

**Dim: **I've never seen a guy go through so many mood changes like him.

**Mrs B: **Whatcha mean, "_a guy"_. Since when you come such male chauvinist, Dim?

**Dim: **I didn't mean anything by that. Sorry. It's just one moment he's pretty cool, the next, he's hostile, and then he's like…

**Angel: **Like you don't know whether to go near him, or duck for cover.

**Dim: **Right. There's obviously something bothering him. I can't put my finger on it.

**Smoke: **We just see when frenchie comes tonight. With any luck, he'll jump on her back and stay off ours.

Scream was helping Sophie get the children ready to go when he zoned out again.

"_Scream and Lindsay were sitting on the couch, with baby Ciara on her mother's lap. Suddenly, the pitter patter of small feet approach. CJ has arrived downstairs and stared at the tree._

_**CJ: **I told you, daddy. I was good boy. Look what Santa left for me._

_**Scream: **Both you and your sister are good kids. Santa knows it. _

_**CJ: **What 'bout you and mommy? You good too._

_**Lindsay: **I'm sure there must be one or two presents in there for us too. Come on, Ciara…you must be hungry. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes._

_Lindsay got up from the couch and carried Ciara out to her high chair set up at the breakfast table._

_**Scream: **Come on son, you have to be starving too. You didn't have your "snack before going to bed" last night._

_**CJ: **Be there daddy. Just want to…open a few presents first._

_Before CJ could get to the presents, Scream stood up and grabbed hold of him._

_**Scream: **You know better than that. We eat breakfast first, before open any presents, then we go to church. It's tradition._

_**CJ: **What tadition mean?_

_**Scream: **It's tradition and it means we do the same thing every year. We don't have many, let's keep the few we do have. You'll understand when you get older._

_Lindsay comes back into the living room._

_**Lindsay: **Breakfast come and get it._

_**CJ: **Can't open just one now, dadd…_

_**Lindsay: **YOU HEARD YOUR FATHER, HE SAID NO. NOW GO EAT YOUR BREAKFAST, OR YOU WON'T OPEN UP ANY OF THEM AT ALL TODAY!_

_CJ drops his head and drags himself to the breakfast table. Scream turns red faced and walks over to his wife._

_**Scream: **Don't you ever yell at him like that again._

_**Lindsay: **Just because you grew up with no parents and obvious no discipline, he isn't. Maybe if you would discipline him once in a while he wouldn't be the terror that he is. You don't see my precious Ciara carrying on like this._

_**Scream: **She's two months old. Besides it' s not his fault he inherited my ADHD. What makes you think Ciara isn't going to be hyper when she gets older?_

_**Lindsay: **She may have inherited your looks but my calm, sedate, well- behaved personality. No pal, it's just the boys that are screwed up in this family…cause of you and those defective genes."_

Scream was brought out of his trance by a shaking of his arm.

**Sophie: **You alright?

**Scream: **I'm fine, why?

**Sophie: **We're ready but you aren't. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you didn't want to go.

**Scream: **Don't be ridiculous. The kids will have a great time and I'll have a good time showing them one. Now, let's mount up, everyone.

**Sophie: **We are. All except you.

**Scream: **Right, let's go then.

Scream climbs into the driver's seat in the van, trying to shake off the chill going down his back.

That night at the party, the kids feast on the candy and cookies that the soldiers spent the day preparing. The soldiers were basking in some liquor that was provided by the army. Most of them were pre-occupied with playing with the children that they didn't notice that there was an unusual presence among them.

A soldier dressed as Santa Claus came in with a large sack on his back. The fire-team laughed when they realized that underneath the beard and red suit was none other than their own Captain Baron.

**Angel: **With all due respect, sir. I didn't know you were into this sort of thing.

**Captain: **I use to do it every year for my own children when I was home for Christmas. So, HO, HO, HO…CHILDREN GATHER ROUND. SANTA' S GOT PRESENTS FOR ALL…YOUNG AND OLD.

Scream stood in the background watching when he saw a small boy, go behind the buffet table and touch one of the hot plates. He quickly ran over and grabbed the boy. He lifted him off his feet and carried him over to Sophie.

**Scream: **Got to keep an eye on them. Little kids shouldn't be anywhere near a stove.

**Sophie: **Sorry, but it wasn't a stove. Just a hot plate. But you are right, he could still get hurt. Thank you, sergeant.

**Scream: **Just keep them away from the uh, hot plate. Not safe for them, never know when one will blow up. I got to go.

**Sophie: **Blow up?

While the presents are being handed out, Scream grabs hold of a six pack of beer and slips out of the mess tent unnoticed.

Later once all the kids received their presents, Captain Baron started handing the fire team theirs.

Each member of Rawhide received a large gift wrapped package. They stared down at them and looked at the captain.

**Captain: **Before you open your presents, I have one more here for you.

The captain drew the soldiers' attention over and pointed at one of the tent flaps. Seconds later, a visitor arrived to the soldiers' surprise. They all smiled in shock.

**Dim: **BO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE!

The soldiers went to greet their fellow comrade.

**Bo: **I was wondering how my old outfit was doing? Did you miss me?

**Doublewide: **Hell yes. How are you?

**Bo: **I'm getting better. The leg or that is my stump still hurts from time to time…

**Tariq: **…you look like your walking okay despite what happened.

Bo looks at the strange soldier, confused.

**Angel: **Oh right, this is PFC Tariq Nassir, he's your replacement.

Bo and Tariq shake hands.

**Tariq: **Heard a lot about you. Sorry, about the accident.

**Bo: **It's alright. Last time I ever go on a beer run again.

The team waits for Bo to laugh at his own joke and when he does, they follow.

**Smoke: **So, you out of the shit before you got into it.

**Bo: **Well,…

**Captain: **Maybe not. Private Ryder here, may be coming back. We are working on getting him back into combat but right now, he's working in the states as a recruiter.

**Bo: **Pretty boring work, but at least I get to spend a lot of time with my wife and son. By the way, captain, about the awards. I wanted to thank you and sarge about,

**Captain: **We'll talk about it later. Visit with your friends.

**Bo: **Alright guys, so open your packages and see what Santa here, bought y'all.

**Doublewide: **First, there's something we need to say to you, captain.

**Captain: **What's wrong?

**Mrs. B: **Nothin' wrong. We just wanna thank you for the party and the gifts.

**Captain: **Your welcome, but it wasn't me. I'm not the one responsible for giving you the party or presents, even though it's a gesture I should have made given the wonderful job your team has done.

**Smoke: **I get it. More tax payer money being used to support the troops that we'll be hearing about when we get home. You know, how deep the country is in goddamn debt.

**Captain: **No taxpayer money was used. The benefactor wanted to remain anonymous, but…what the hell. Look at the cards on your presents.

The team reaches for their presents and almost on cue open the gift tags.

**Dim: **To the best fire team a squad leader could ask for. Merry Christmas…SSG Scream.

The fire-team's jaws drop.

**Tariq: **Sergeant Scream is giving us the party.

**Captain: **The party, the gifts, the food. He even arranged to have Bo flown over here. It was all him. He paid for everything out of his own pocket. He didn't want you to know, but I think he should be given the credit.

**Angel: **That's our sergeant, modest as hell.

**Captain: **What are you guys waiting for? Open your presents before they expire.

The team was wondering what the captain meant by expiring. They started to rip the paper of the packages like a group of children. They opened the boxes and smiled when they saw what was in them. For Dim, there were packages of _Pepperidge Farm Milanos and Wheat Thins. _For Angel, _Oreos and Chips Ahoy_. For Tariq, _Nutter Butters and Doritos. _For Smoke, _Peanut M&M'S_. For Doublewide, _Nachos and Cheese Dip_. And for Mrs. B, _A Sweet Potato Pie._

**Smoke: **How did he know I liked M&M'S, peanut brand too.

**Tariq: **You guys remember, sitting back in the truck…right before Madcow was killed. We were talking about our favorite foods.

**Angel: **He remember all that?

**Dim: **Must have. Alright , sarge.

**Doublewide: **Me and Mrs. B wasn't there. How he know what we like to eat.

**Captain: **That was tough, but I think he contacted your families and asked them.

**Mrs. B: **We got to thank him for this.

**Smoke: **Shit, how we gonna do that, when we ain' t suppose to know?

**Dim: **Anonymity or not, I want to tell him how grateful I am. Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him all night.

**Smoke: **Just find his girlfriend, he won't be far behind, shit.

**Tariq: **There she is but he's no where in sight.

The team put their packages down and approach Sophie.

**Sophie: **I don't know where he got to. We were discussing one of my children earlier and then he like, how you say, vanished into thin air.

The team, along with Bo, went over to his tent and found Scream sitting alone, a near-empty six pack by his foot. He was rocking back and forth again, with a partially empty beer bottle in his hand. The mood was more strange than usual when they came to see the sergeant.

**Angel: **Can we come in, sergeant?

Scream didn't answer. He just sat, zoned out and didn't even acknowledge their present. The team couldn't help but notice a hand gun sitting on a crate next to the sergeant.

**Bo: **Uh, sergeant. I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. You know, getting me not only the purple heart but the bronze star too.

Scream remains silent so the team decides that he's in one of his "_leave me the hell alone goddamn it" _moods and turns around to exit the tent, but not before Angel is able to remove the gun without the dazed sergeant noticing.

**Scream: **Meant it too, Bo. You can still be one of my best soldiers.

**Bo: **Thank you, and I'll try to do you proud. I mean I will do you proud.

**Tariq: **Sergeant, the rest of us know you're the one who gave us the party. You didn't have to do that.

Scream leans forward, almost falling flat on his face, when he manages to catch his balance.

**Scream: **Knew me well enough, you'd know I DON'T do anything I don't WANT to do. You guys deserved this.

**Mrs. B: **Captain said you gave up your R&R to be here with us. Not to mention part of a army bonus to pay for everything.

**Scream: **I figured you can't be with your family and I don't have family to go home to. GODDAMN IT, I WISH HE HADN'T TOLD YOU!

**Dim: **We probably would have figured it out anyway, when we read the tags on our gifts. Thanks, you really knew what we all wanted.

Scream attempted to get to his feet, but the present stupor he was in, was making that a difficult task without him falling down.

**Scream: **Got sick and tired of hearing you whine about the food and MRES here. Maybe this bit of gee dunk will shut you all the hell up for awhile.

**Smoke: **Shit, that it will. Anything we won't have to eat in the mess tent is fucking appreciated.

Scream looks up at his fire-team, his eyes bloodshot and his face sweaty and clammy. His words are badly slurred, revealing to them his condition.

**Scream: **What the fuck else you want? Someone hand me my last bottle over there on your way out.

**Dim: **Don't you think you've had enough? You can barely sit up with out falling over much less stand. This isn't like you. I never would have taken you as a heavy drinker, especially at Christmas.

**Scream: **You celebrate your goddamn holidays your way, I'll celebrate mine, my way.

**Mrs. B: **You sure this is how you want those kids to see you out there?

**Scream: **Not going out there anymore. This is the way I want to spend this crappy day.

**Angel: **You don't like Christmas either, sarge?

**Scream: **Nope, don't have time for it. Get out of here and go be with your guests. LEAVE ME GODDAMN IT ALONE!

**Tariq: **Well, have a nice Christmas anyway.

**Smoke: **Why don't you wait til Christmas and tell him that?

Dim looks at his watch.

**Dim: **Look, it's 0100 hours. It is Christmas.

The team start wishing each other a Merry Christmas

**Scream: **If none of you idiots want to get my beer, I'll get it myself.

Scream manages to get to his feet, but before he can take a step, he topples over. Angel and Smoke are able to get hold of him before he can go completely down.

**Angel: **Alright, that's it. Time to go to bed.

**Scream: **I'm not tired, am I.

**Tariq: **Yeah, you are.

The two soldiers help Scream over to his cot, when he starts mumbling something incoherent.

**Scream: **It's my fault. All my fault. I didn't mean it, kids.

**Mrs. B: **What he talkin' 'bout? What's not his fault.

**Dim: **No idea. We'll find out someday?

**Smoke: **Why the fuck not now? Not often we get him with his guard down.

**Dim: **Not tonight.

Once Scream is settled down in his cot, he instantly goes unconscious, from being too drunk and exhausted. Mrs B removed his ICOM. When the team is ready to leave him alone, Doublewide spots a piece of paper in the sergeant's hand that he's been holding on to. She manages to remove it from his tight grasp.

**Smoke: **What's that?

**Doublewide: **A newspaper article from December 26, 1994.

She continues to read the article.

**Doublewide: **Headline says, " _**Gas Explosion Kills Two, Critically Injures Third in Long Island." **"Long Island's army Corporal Christopher Silas was critically injured yesterday when the stove in his home ignited a gas explosion. Corporal Silas, who suffered 3rd degree burns over 45 of his body, two fractured vertebra and a punctured lung, remained fully conscious throughout the ordeal while he attempted to save the lives of his two young sons. Jeremy Silas, aged 6 months, died instantly from his injuries. Christopher Silas Jr., aged 4 years old, also known as CJ, suffered 3rd degree burns over 80 of his body and a fractured skull, died minutes after the explosion. Paramedics arriving on the scene 20 minutes after the explosion stated that they saw Corporal Silas, cradling the lifeless body of his oldest son in his arms. Corporal Silas was admitted to the Long Island Burn Unit's ICU, in serious condition. Although he is expected to survive, his recovery will be long and painful. The boys were survived by their father, mother Lindsay, and sister, Ciara, 2 years old. A funeral for the boys will be held on December 30th. In lieu of sending flowers, Corporal Silas has asked that all donations be made to the Long Island Burn and Pediatric Center in his sons' memories."_

The team remained silent. Tears pouring down their faces.

**Angel: **Well, goddamn it.

**Doublewide: **Dear god, they were just babies.

**Smoke: **No wonder he hates Christmas.

**Tariq: **Shit, that had to kill him out there, with all those kids around the Christmas tree with the presents.

Doublewide wipes the tears from her eyes, folds the news article up and places it back in the sleeping sergeant's hand.

**Doublewide: **Come on guys, help me cover him up.

The team got the blankets on the table nearby and covered up their sergeant. They fix his head more comfortably on his pillow. Before leaving him alone, both Doublewide and Mrs. B give Scream a kiss on his head, while the male soldiers salute their squad leader. They quietly leave now, for the first time, completely understanding their leader's pain.

Later Christmas Day, the captain enter the sergeant's tent to find him still asleep on the cot, fully dressed.

**Captain: **Sergeant, yo attention on deck there.

Scream turned over, put his hand over his eyes to shade them from the disturbing blinding light that was coming in.

**Scream: **Oh right, sir. I'll get up as soon as I get my bearings.

Scream scrambled to sit up but kept falling back down. His eyes were more bloodshot than usual. The captain took one look at the sergeant and realized he was in no condition to sit let alone stand up.

**Captain: **NEVER MIND, STAY PUT. LISTEN SERGEANT…

Scream grabbed his ears and then his head and started rolling around in the cot.

**Scream: **Quieter please, sir?

**Captain: **Sorry. I said I know what brought this state on and you have my sympathies, but it's not proper way to present yourself to your team. Do I need to worry if this is going to be a regular thing with you?

**Scream: **No, just a once a year thing. I'll be sure that it never happens here again, sir. You're right. I am, at this moment, a sorry excuse for a soldier and squad leader and I'm ashamed of myself.

**Captain: **I didn't say or even think that. You are one of my best Staff NCOS and I don't want to lose you because of something stupid. Don't be so hard on yourself. If anyone has a reason to get drunk, it's you.

**Scream: **It's still no excuse…

**Captain: **Sleep it off and we'll talk about it later over some coffee. Hot, black and strong coffee is what you need.

**Scream: **Thank you, sir.

**Captain: **As you were.

The captain left the tent and ran into the fire-team on the way out.

**Captain: **I don't think this will be a good time, everyone.

**Dim: **We really need to speak with the sergeant, sir.

**Captain: **He's not in a talking mood.

**Smoke: **I be surprise if he was in a conscious mood after this morning.

**Tariq: **Sir, we know what's going on with the sergeant and it's vital that we do talk with him.

**Captain: **He's your squad leader. I can't stop you.

The captain continues to go on his way, while the team starts to whisper just outside Scream's tent.

**Mrs. B: **Maybe this ain't the right time.

**Dim: **Do you know of a better one.

**Mrs. B: **I just don't think we shoul' just barge in on him.

**Dim: **If we didn't barge on him this morning, we probably wouldn't have a squad leader now.

**Smoke: **For once, the dimwit is right. Boy had a loaded gun sittin' next to him.

**Angel: **I've already witnessed one soldier eat his gun, I couldn't go through that again. Especially, the sarge.

**Dim: **He's severely depressed…

**Doublewide: **No shit. The man lost both his boys on Christmas, wouldn't you fucking be a wreck, too.

**Dim: **I know if anything ever happened to my stepson, Eddie…I can't say that I wouldn't feel a little suicidal.

Suddenly, the team hears a bang and the sergeant yell. They start to panic until they realize, that's it's only a hummer backfiring. They peek inside the tent and see the sergeant sitting up in his bed, holding his head.

**Tariq: **Everything okay in there, sarge?

**Scream: **Just hit the shit out of my head on this goddamn table.

**Dim: **Permission to enter, sergeant?

**Scream: **Enter.

**Doublewide: **Females, too.

**Scream: **GET THE HELL, OUCH…IN HERE. AND STOP GODDAMN WHISPERING! OW, MY HEAD…SPEAK THE FUCK UP! HOW THE HELL ELSE AM I GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOUR SAYING ABOUT ME BEHIND MY BACK!

The team enters and makes themselves comfortable on the cots. They sit in silence for a moment not knowing who should begin or from where.

**Doublewide: **So sarge, how you feelin' this morning?

**Scream: **Why how do I look?

**Smoke: **Like shit.

**Scream: **Good, then I look better than I feel. I'm sure you didn't come in here to check up on me.

**Tariq: **Actually, we did. After this morning, we were worried about you.

**Scream: **What happened this morning?

**Mrs. B: **You don't remember?

**Scream: **With the way my head is throbbing, I'm lucky I can remember my own name and what shit hole I'm in.

No one said anything causing the hung-over sergeant to look at them individually.

**Dim: **You were pretty out of it earlier, sarge?

**Scream: **Dim, is that your high-class college way of saying that I was fucking drunk. It's alright. It's not a secret.

**Doublewide: **We know why you got drunk last night and we just want to help out.

**Scream: **You wouldn't even know how to fucking begin to help me…wait a minute, how do you know why I was the way I was?

**Bo: **We came by to thank you for the party and…

Scream shook his head and tried to focus his eyes.

**Scream: **Bo, where the shit did you come from?

**Bo: **You arranged for me to fly back to see my old squad.

**Scream: **Wow, that was fucking nice of me. Good to see you.

**Bo: **Yeah, anyway…I wanted to thank you for getting me my medals and helping me get back into combat.

**Scream: **I'm doing all that. Goddamn, I've been busy.

**Dim: **I think we'll getting off the subject.

**Scream: **Right, uh…what was the subject.

**Dim: **This morning we came by to see you and you were already through your fifth bottle of beer and working quickly into your sixth one when you passed out. We got you to your cot and…

**Scream: **You put me to bed? I wonder how the hell I manage to make it the distance. Thanks, you're a good team.

**Angel: **We saw the newspaper article that you were reading.

Angel pointed at a piece of paper on the floor. Scream bent down to pick it up. Before he opened it up, he had realized what it was. His face turned beet red and you could almost, literately, see smoke come out of his ears.

**Scream: **WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING STICKING YOUR GODDAMN NOSES IN MY PERSONAL LIFE! I WARNED YOU ABOUT THAT BEFORE, ASSHOLES!

**Smoke: **WHAT THE FUCK! FIVE FUCKING SECONDS AGO WE WERE A GOOD TEAM AND NOW WE'RE ASSHOLES!

**Scream: **YOU ARE WHEN YOU PRY INTO MY LIFE!

Scream grabs hold of his head and tries to slow his rapid breathing down.

**Doublewide: **Take it easy, sarge. We only did it because we were worried about you and cause we care about you. Haven't you ever had anyone who cared about you before?

**Scream: **Not without an ulterior motive.

**Doublewide: **Not even family.

**Scream: **Told you before I don't have any family.

**Mrs. B: **Then who are the two kids with you in the picture?

**Scream: **What picture?

**Mrs. B: **The one you keep under your pillow.

**Scream: **Shit, you know 'bout that too. Good thing this army don't tell privates any government secrets or we'd be invaded by goddamn who knows what the fuck.

**Doublewide: **Why didn't you tell us about your…family?

**Scream: **CAUSE IT'S NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUSINESS!

The team gives up and begins to leave when the sergeant stops them.

**Scream: **I lied about not having family, but you already know that. In between foster homes, when I was sixteen, I met a girl. Her name was Lindsay. Her family was well to do and they never would accept me. When I was seventeen, she gave birth to our first son, CJ. He was the image of his mother. Blonde hair and blue eyes but he unfortunately inherited my ADHD. Her family wanted me to give up all my paternal rights to the child, but I refused. Lindsay and I were going to get married but I had to wait to turn eighteen so I could provide for us, by joining the army.

**Dim: **There must have been other ways besides joining the army?

**Scream: **Not for someone who was overly aggressive, barely a high school education and no work experience. We were married while I was still in boot camp and arranged to stay nearby, at first. I became a medic and was trained and eventually worked in a VA hospital. Occasionally, I was shipped over seas to help on different MASH units. During that time, Lindsay was left alone with CJ. He was very colicky, like I was and he drove her out of her mind. By the time he grew out of being colicky, he started turning aggressive and Lindsay was pregnant with our second child. Ciara, was born when I was nineteen and she was a calm baby. She had jet black hair and golden tan skin, like me. She wasn't ADHD though. The doctor said it was possible that gene was only dominant in males.

**Mrs. B: **That was a lot for her to handle alone with you gone most of the time.

**Scream: **Maybe, but I wasn't away very long. We got a house just off base and it was going alright for a while as long as CJ stayed tranquil.

**Dim: **There's medicine they could have put him on.

**Scream: **I know about their "_medicine" _. They tried putting me on it when I was a teenager. Damn shit, left me groggy and basically stoned all day. I didn't know up from down. I was not going to let them turn my children into zombies. Lindsay doted on Ciara. She was her pride and joy and poor CJ winded up getting pushed aside by her. I made sure both children were equally loved.

**Bo: **Like a good father should.

**Scream: **I thought so too. More trouble was to come when our third child, my son Jeremy was born. He also favored his mother on looks but he had my screwed up gene. Lindsay decided enough was enough. She couldn't handle one ADHD child much less two. When Jeremy was only a month old, I came home to find a note on the kitchen table from Lindsay asking me to pick the boys up from the army daycare center.

**Dim: **They took them that young at only one month?

**Scream: **Not on a regular basis but if the parents had an emergency then they wouldn't mind you bringing them over to watch every so often. She said that she had already picked up Ciara, who was 2 at the time, so they could have some girl-time together. That wasn't unusual. She had done it before. Later when I came home, I got a phone call from Lindsay. She said she couldn't deal with it anymore. She no longer wanted to be mother to a couple of unruly terrors and she was taking Ciara and leaving me. Before I could say anything, she hung up…

**Smoke: **Shit, I would've taken that bitch's ass to court…

**Scream: **I thought about that, at least to get visitation rights with my daughter, but I couldn't drag any of my kids through nasty court trials. Besides, her family was too powerful. They'd do anything to keep me away from her so they had no problem hiding her from me. Every time I tracked her down, she'd pick up and move again. Someone hand me the shoebox under my cot. If I bend down, my head will burst.

Tariq reached under the cot and came up with the box. He handed it to Scream. Scream opened it to reveal a bunch of unopened envelopes bound together with a rubber band.

**Scream: **I managed to track her down several times over the years and send her checks to support my daughter. They all came back, unopened and with the same message on it, "_RETURN TO SENDER"._

**Angel: **Well, I'm sure Lindsay's family is providing for Ciara.

Scream looked at his team and his face grew red. He got up and threw a chair at the center post of the tent busting it into a few thousand pieces and causing his team to jump almost out of their skins.

**Scream: **THAT'S NOT THE GODDAMN POINT! SHE'S MY DAUGHTER, I'M THE ONE WHO'S SUPPOSE TO BE PROVIDING FOR HER!

Seeing his squad flinch, brought Scream out of his tirade.

**Scream: **Sorry, I didn't mean to scare anyone.

**Mrs. B: **That's okay. That would explain why she or her mother wasn't in the explosion.

The team saw Scream start to shake and a death look came over his face.

**Dim: **Let's not go there. It's obviously too painful for the sergeant to talk about. _(pause)_ unless he wants too.

**Scream: **Gone this far, can't stop now.

"_Christmas morning, 1994: Scream was busy cooking breakfast in the kitchen when he heard CJ enter the living room._

_**CJ: **Wow, I was a good boy 'gain this year. Look what Santa bought me and Jerry, daddy._

_Scream turned off the burner and moved the pan with the eggs and bacon in it to the back of the stove so CJ couldn't pull it over on himself._

_**Scream: **Shhh! You'll wake your brother up. _

_**CJ: **I open my pressens real quiet._

_**Scream: **Not now. You know we never open the presents before breakfast. It's tradition._

_**CJ: **Mommy not here anymore so it not like every Chrismas._

_**Scream: **I know but I still want to keep some things the same. First we eat, then open presents, then church. Come on to the table._

_Scream got CJ settled into his seat when the baby started to cry. Scream went to get Jeremy. When he returned, CJ was nowhere to be found. Scream checked the living room. He wasn't opening presents, he checked the bathroom and still no CJ. He figured he went into his bedroom, so he didn't think anymore about it until he walked into the kitchen with the baby in his arms. CJ was putting his little stool down in front of the oven._

_**Scream: **CJ, what do you think you're doing?_

_**CJ: **Helpin you, daddy. Make breakfass._

_**Scream: **You know better about going anywhere near that stove. Not til you're older. You want to help me, get a bottle out of the fridge and feed your brother for me._

_Scream sat Jeremy down in his baby rocker seat on the kitchen table. CJ retrieved the bottle and put it in the microwave. Scream, being on his own, had to depend on CJ'S help in caring for the baby, so CJ was accustomed to heating the baby's bottle up. Once it was done, Scream watched as CJ tested it on his wrist._

_**Scream: **Too hot?_

_**CJ: **Juss right. Here feel._

_CJ squeezed a little out on his daddy's wrist and Scream agreed it was perfect. He watched while CJ gave Jeremy the bottle. CJ stayed by his brother's side watching him drink. Scream turned back around to the stove, brought back up the pan with the eggs and bacon in it and turned the pilot on. **BANG!**"_

The team lowered their heads cause they knew what had happened next.

**Scream: **Next thing I know is I wake up across the room and there flames and smoke everywhere. I started yelling for the boys, but it was quiet. I expected to hear Jeremy crying, but he wasn't. I tried to get to my feet but I couldn't see and it was difficult to breathe. It hurt like hell to even move my legs.

**Bo: **With those injuries, no wonder.

**Scream: **My injuries were least of my problems. I had to get to my kids. I started to crawl along the floor, calling their names, in between choking on the smoke. I couldn't see so I felt around until I came to a soft bundle on the floor. It was Jeremy. I felt all over his body and couldn't find a pulse. He wasn't breathing. He was just limp. The little guy never had a chance. Then I heard CJ gasping for air. I managed to get to him. He was crying and just asked me to hold him. I told him we were going to the hospital and they were going to make us better. He asked me if he would be allowed to open his presents when he came home from the hospital. I told him sure and then he took one deep breath and that was it. I started rescue breathing and compressions. There was a knocking on the door. It was paramedics, I told them kick the door in. We were only about ten feet from the front door, but by the time they got to us, CJ had died in my arms.

Scream went numb as the others tried to control their own feelings. They fought to hold back their tears but couldn't.

**Scream: **At the funeral…

**Dim: **The paper said you were critically wounded, how did you make the funeral?

**Scream: **Signed myself out AMA. Come hell or high water I was going to put my boys to rest. Didn't matter whether I died, anyway. My life was over without my babies. Ironically, Lindsay was there but no Ciara.

"_**Scream: **Why isn't Ciara here at her brothers' funeral?_

_**Lindsay: **Ciara never mentioned them so I don't even think she remembers them. I didn't see any reason to tell her they were dead._

_**Scream: **Does she remember me, huh…Lindsay?_

_**Lindsay: **Strangely enough, she did. She remembered you in your army outfit and asked about you all the time. I told her you were killed in the war. She stopped asking after that._

_**Scream: **What the hell kind of a mother doesn't tell a little girl her brothers are dead and does tell her that her father is dead when I'm not. I want to see my daughter._

_**Lindsay: **Not on your life. You already killed my two little boys, I'm not going to let you anywhere near my precious daughter."_

**Scream: **At that moment, I wanted to tear her apart limb from limb but it was my sons' funeral and unlike her I didn't want to make a scene there. I loved them too much. Funny though, I was thinking about my two little fellows but one thought kept entering my mind. _(Fighting his tears) _They never got to open their Christmas presents. If I had only let them open them, this would have never happened.

**Dim: **You don't know that for sure.

**Scream: **Yeah, I do. The fire marshal said that it was the stove that caused the explosion. The best I can figure is when CJ was alone in the kitchen, he was turning the knobs on the burners but he only had the back one turned a little bit and the pilot was out. It wasn't on long enough where I would smell gas escaping, but long enough to fill the kitchen with fumes and when I turned the front burner on to cook the eggs, it ignited. If I let those children open their presents, they would have been playing in the other room instead of messing with the stove. Lindsay's right, It was my fault. I killed them.

**Doublewide: **No, it wasn't. No one here would ever hold you to blame.

Doublewide's words fell on deaf ears.

**Mrs. B: **Sergeant, how long has it been since you saw your daughter?

**Scream: **Lindsay took her away when she was two. She just celebrated her thirteenth birthday in early October. You do the math.

**Doublewide: **Eleven years.

**Scream: **Yup. My little baby girl was becoming a young lady and I missed out on it.

**Smoke: **Sergeant, the boy at the orphanage that you tried to save…you said he was one more you couldn't save. You meant your sons, huh.

Scream nods.

**Scream: **That chess set I gave him, was my daughter's. Well, it was mine but I was sending it to her for her birthday. From what I remember about her, she loved challenges. Only she never got it or any other present I sent her. Her mother always headed it off and sent them back. Just like the one I sent a few weeks ago. It was a computer, a Christmas present. Still have it wrapped under my cot. Uh, I've taken up enough of your time with my sob story. You have better things to do.

**Dim: **Actually, we don't.

Scream scrambles to his feet and grabs hold of his mouth.

**Scream: **Well, I goddamn do. IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE TO THROW UP!

Scream pushes through his team and heads as fast as he can to the latrine, leaving the others pondering what he just told them.

**Bo: **Think he's okay.

**Smoke: **Booze is catchin' up with him.

**Mrs. B: **That and all those locked up emotions.

**Angel: **He's a good man and doesn't deserve this.

**Dim: **Right, he doesn't. We have to make it right.

The team leaves the tent headed for the captain's quarters.

The next day, Scream sees Captain Baron sitting at his team's table in the mess hall. He decides to join them. The captain and the team are deep in conversation when they see Scream approach. They quickly end their conversation and stare as Scream sits with them.

**Scream: **Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt the conversation.

**Dim: **You didn't. It's just a shock seeing you actually sit with us. You usually sit by yourself unless there are no free tables.

**Scream: **If I'm crowding you, I'll get up and move.

**Captain: **Relax, sergeant. You're fine where you are.

**Scream: **So Captain, how's the throat?

**Captain: **Much better. Still difficult to swallow, but it should heal completely within the next week or so. Um, Sergeant…my doctor said that tracheotomies don't get prettier than the one you did on me, especially under the circumstances.

**Scream: **You can thank the army for that. They trained me well.

**Doublewide: **Sergeant, you never did tell us why you didn't stay a medic?

Scream looks around at his team, swallows his food, debating whether or not let his squad in on any more of his life. Then again, they were there when he saved the captain's life, so that gave them a right to know. If he would've done anything wrong when working on the captain, the whole team would have been held responsible.

**Scream: **Back when I was a medic, I was offered a chance to transfer over to infantry. The lieutenant that I was working under thought that my aggressive behavior would benefit the United States if it were used on the front lines. He said the pay was better, but I refused. Maybe if it was just me, I would have done it but I had my family to consider. I didn't want to go too far into dangerous territory and risk not being there for my kids. Anyway, as a medic, I was able to stay close to home more often. After the boys' death, I never went back to my house and insisted I be shipped overseas. I was assigned a med unit very close to the front lines in Somalia. This didn't bother me so much anymore, since I was on my own and had no one to worry about, except Ciara, then again, she thought I was already dead so she wouldn't agonize about me.

**Angel: **But you were still a medic at the time, right?

Scream still had food in his mouth and nodded. He waited until he had swallowed to continue.

**Scream: **I was sent out on the front line to tend to one of our men who was injured by a grenade. It had been the worst injury I had seen since losing my boys. His chest was almost completely gone. Little hope of survival but I still had to try but…I froze on the spot. I couldn't do anything. Another medic had to cover for me. The soldier died anyway, but I knew if I froze once, what was the guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. Next time, it could be while treating a soldier that has a chance of surviving, and because of my petrified state, he dies. I couldn't live with that, so I did transfer over to infantry.

**Tariq: **Well, we'll glad you did.

**Captain: **I know I am.

Scream started feeling the eyes at table on him and that made him apprehensive so he quickly changed the subject.

**Scream: **So, uh Bo, did he go back home?

**Dim: **Yeah, he picked up his wife and son from the army base center and they flew back home to celebrate another Christmas in Texas.

**Smoke: **Is it really true, he coming back to combat?

**Captain: **He's been wanting to come back ever since he was injured, so he's been keeping himself in shape. Only time will tell. I think there's only been one other amputee in the history of the army to go back into combat.

**Scream: **If anyone can do it, he can. Excuse me.

Scream got up and removed his tray from the table. The team waited until he was not only out of the mess hall but completely out of view before they continued their earlier conversation.

The next couple of days, the other details were starting to arrive back on the base from their furloughs. Scream pretty much kept to himself, still filled with so many feelings that he's kept hidden for so long. When he did venture out of his tent and happen to walk by on of his team, he'd greet them and go on his way. Behind his back, the team smiled. They knew by the beginning of the next year, they will have their old Scream back or maybe even a new and improved one.

His team didn't really say much to Scream either. They weren't really sure what they were suppose to say. They were afraid to bring up any part of their Christmas Day talk, not knowing how Scream would react. When one of them did get up the courage to say something to him, they quickly backed off, scared that if they said the wrong thing, Scream would make their lives hell. But even with Scream's hard-assed attitude, there wasn't one of his team that didn't respect him and at the same time feel bad for him for his loss.

New Years Eve Day came and now that there was a fully occupied base again, the captain arranged for some champagne to be delivered to ring in the new year. As midnight approached, Rawhide 1 was in the mess tent preparing to toast the end of the year. They were starting to fill their glasses, when the captain stuck his head in and signaled for them to follow him. Smoke grabbed a bottle of champagne as Mrs. B took eight champagne flutes. They marched over to the Staff NCOS tent. Scream was lying in his customary way, folding his arms behind his head and staring at the ceiling. When he saw them coming, he rolled over on his side, with his back facing them.

**Tariq: **Sarge, how come you're not at the party again?

**Scream: **I thought we've be through this already. I just don't get into holidays like the rest of you.

**Mrs. B: **Well, this is the last major one for awhile. Even if you hate holidays, you could help us knock off this bottle of champagne…

**Smoke: **…and listen to Angel say a prayer that this shit war will be over soon.

**Scream: **I know you guys mean well, it's just I don't want to be around anyone now. I want to be left alone. Can't you goddamn understand that?

The team smile at one another.

**Dim: **We have something that may change your mind?

**Scream: **Doubt that. I can be pretty stubborn.

**Smoke: **Don't we fuckin' know it.

**Tariq: **Sarge, we really liked the presents you got us for Christmas and we felt bad that you didn't get a present.

**Scream: **How many times I have to tell you. It doesn't matter to me.

**Dim: **Well, we know it's a little late, but we did get you a present. Sorry, we didn't have a chance to wrap it, but it was rather sudden.

**Scream: **You didn't…shouldn't have gotten me anything.

**Captain: **Will you just shut up for a moment and accept this gift for what it is…our way of saying "_thank you"_ for everything you've done to make our time a little better in this shit hole.

Scream knew not to defy the captain so he remained silent.

**Captain: **Alright Doublewide, bring in the sergeant's present.

The captain tapped Scream on the shoulder to get him to turn over. Hoping they will go after this, he rolled onto his other side and slowly sat up on his cot just as Doublewide walked into his tent with a small, jet-haired, olive- skinned girl. Scream went stiff. He looked at his fellow soldiers and then back at the little girl. For the first time in probably his life, Scream was speechless. His body started to shake and he could barely speak.

**Scream: **Ciara?

**Ciara: **Hi, daddy.

Scream struggled to his feet and once he had his balance he ran over and grabbed his daughter into his arms quickly. He hung onto her as if he were drowning or as if she would vanish right in front of him, like he was dreaming. This was one time that Scream didn't give a shit if his team saw him crying. He was not even going to try and hold back his tears.

The fire-team stood back and remained quiet while the two had their reunion. They couldn't help but grin at each other and even their eyes filled with tears.

Finally, Scream let go of Ciara and put her on the ground. He took a step back and looked at her.

**Scream: **Ciara, you are as beautiful as I had always pictured you. As beautiful as you were the day you were born. I can't tell you how much I missed you.

**Ciara: **I miss you too, daddy. I'm sorry I was gone for so long. Mommy always told me that you were in heaven. Why did she lie to me, daddy?

**Scream: **We'll talk about that later. There's so much I have to ask you, so much I need to know.

**Captain: **You'll have plenty of time too, Sergeant. I've arranged for you to take some of that R&R that you've been putting off. Now, I realize that Iraq is not really the perfect setting for such a reunion as this but I manage to secure the two of you a room away from the war. You have a lot of catching up to do.

**Scream: **How did you get her here? Is Lindsay here, too?

**Angel: **After we found out about what happened that Christmas, we wanted so much to do something for you to get you back into the holiday spirit. The best thing we could do was to find your daughter and reunite the two of you.

**Tariq: **When you asked me to reach the shoebox under your cot, I saw the present under there and then I remembered you said you sent a package to Ciara and it was returned. We took that address off of it, and hoped that it was the right one.

**Dim: **Thank god, it was. Lindsay hadn't moved. We went to the captain…

**Captain: **…and I used some of my influence back home and arranged for a couple of MPS to go to the house your daughter was at. And no, we just flew your daughter over here.

**Scream: **I'm sure Lindsay just loved that.

**Captain: **She gave the police a hard time but they put her in her place. Sergeant, you will never have to worry about Ciara again. Lindsay was taken into custody when Ciara was picked up. She's gonna have to think about what she's done, long and hard and have 25 years to do it in.

**Scream: **You don't know Lindsay and her family. They wield a lot of power and money in the states. She'll get out.

**Captain: **Sergeant, you never legally severed your parental rights to your daughter so you still had legal custody of Ciara when her mother took off with her and went across state lines. That's called kidnapping. It's a federal offense. She won't be going anywhere for a long time.

**Scream: **I don't know about this. As much as I hate Lindsay, she is still Ciara's mother and feel weird putting her in jail. How am I suppose to explain this to my little girl?

**Captain: **She already knows about her mother and that it's not your fault. You couldn't keep her out of jail even if you refused to press charges. It wasn't your decision to make.

Ciara starts pulling at Scream's arm.

**Ciara: **Daddy, they told me that mommy did a bad thing by keeping me away from you and now she's in jail. She was bad, daddy. She hurt you and me. Now you have me and she don't. She'll know how you felt all these years.

Scream smiles down at his daughter's glowing face.

**Scream: **You are so smart and maybe when your mommy realizes that she did the bad thing and took you away, she'll be a better person for it. Uh, one problem. With Lindsay in prison, what's going to happen to Ciara. I wish she could stay here but I know that's not going to happen. I don't want Lindsay's family to have her and I definitely don't want her in foster care.

**Captain: **Been taken care of. Lindsay's family should have been charged with accessories to kidnapping, but the charges were reduce to probation on the condition that they don't ever seek legal custody of her. As far as where she will live, I told you I'm from Long Island too. My family is still there and I've arranged to get temporary custody of her…until you two can be together full time.

**Scream: **However long that may be.

**Captain: **Well, if you want to transfer back to being a medic we can probably have you shipped back home, that's if you're up to it.

Scream looked at his daughter shaking her head yes. He smiled at her.

**Scream: **Yes, I think I am ready to go back to the medical field.

**Captain: **Of course, you will have to take a refresher course back in the states.

**Scream: **Whatever it takes.

**Captain: **I'll look into it. Now, you two have a reunion to get on with.

Scream approached each member of his fire-team thanking them and then gave them a hug before packing a bag.

**Doublewide: **We'll miss you, Sergeant Scream.

**Mrs. B: **Take care of yourself and that little darlin'.

**Scream: **I'll be back. It's not like I'm leaving the country tonight.

While getting his things together, Scream handed Ciara a gift-wrapped package. Ciara took it from her father's strong hand and opened it up.

**Ciara: **A computer. Cool.

**Scream: **Hope you like it. It's one of the many gifts that I got you over the years that your mother didn't want you having. There's something else I want to give you but that can wait until later. I did have your birthday present here too. It was a chess set.

**Ciara: **I like chess and I'm good at it too.

**Scream: **Knew you would be. Unfortunately, I don't have it anymore. When it was returned to me, I gave it to an orphaned boy when I accidentally destroyed his.

**Ciara: **That's alright, daddy. I already have so much. I can give some of my toys away to someone who doesn't have any. I wish I had a present for you.

**Scream: **You are the best and only present I could or will ever want. Let's get going.

Scream took Ciara's hand into his and with her other one she waved back at the soldiers, then set her attention with her daddy.

**Ciara: **Daddy, why do they call you Scream?

Scream let out a small laugh.

**Scream: **Cause daddy's got a big mouth.

The fire team had to laugh at Scream's answer.

At the hotel room that the captain set up for Scream, there were two beds and one medium sized bath. Not quite five star, but not bad for Iraq. After the two were unpacked, Scream sat down and started asking Ciara all the questions that he's been dying to in the eleven years since they last saw each other. They exchanged what their favorite, food, color, animal, music, and tv shows were. They found out that not only did they share looks but also likes and dislikes.

While Scream arranged for some dinner, Ciara sat quietly on the bed. Scream approached her, lightly biting his tongue. He needed to know the answer to something that's been going through his mind since they were first reunited but didn't know how to quite approach it. He decided to just come out and ask her. He sat on the opposite bed and looked across at her.

**Scream: **Ciara, this may sound weird but believe me it isn't. How much do you remember about our family before your mommy took you?

**Ciara: **I remember you, daddy. I remember you always wearing green uniform and that you were big, strong and so handsome.

**Scream: **That's it, huh. Ciara, do you remember your brothers?

Ciara's head dropped. Scream took her chin in his hand and raised it back up so that they were looking eye to eye. He noticed tears forming in her big brown eyes.

**Ciara: **I remember an older child, a boy, that use to always be around. That was my brother, wasn't he?

**Scream: **Yeah, that was CJ. What about your other brother?

**Ciara: **Sorry, not too much. I know we had a baby for a little while.

**Scream: **Jeremy. I don't expect you to remember him. He was only a month old when you left. Ciara, about your brothers?

**Ciara: **I know they are in heaven. They died. The lady soldier who took me on the airplane told me. She said she was a doctor that talks to people about their feelings.

**Scream: **They were just little boys when they died and I miss them so much. Just as much as I missed you when you were gone. You were the first thing I thought of when I woke up in the morning and the last thing I thought of when I went to sleep and all the hours in between.

**Ciara: **Daddy, how did they die?

**Scream: **There was a fire at the house. They went quickly so I don't think either of them were in pain.

**Ciara: **That's good, but I bet they were so scared.

**Scream: **I'm sure they were. But now, they are angels watching over us. They won't ever let anything happen to us. And they have each other so they won't be alone and we have each other now, so neither will we.

The food arrived at the room and Scream and Ciara sat down and had their first meal together in eleven years.

**Ciara: **I kinda remember a little of what CJ look like but not Jeremy.

Scream got up from the table and returned with his wallet. He opened it and removed the same picture he kept under his pillow at the base.

**Scream: **It's an old picture but it gives you an idea. That's me and the little commando there was your older brother. You were the little bunny rabbit.

**Ciara: **Do you have a picture of Jeremy?

**Scream: **Sorry, I wish I did. I'm lucky to have this one. Your mommy took the photo album when she left. I had this picture in my wallet and if I know your mother if she probably had any pictures with me and your brothers on it, we were cut off.

**Ciara: **Why was mommy like that? Why did she take me away and not my brothers? Why did we leave you? Didn't you want me anymore?

**Scream: **I don't ever want to hear you say that. I was devastated when she took you away. Here, I want to show you something.

Scream went into his duffel bag and pulled out the shoebox. He opened it and showed it to his daughter.

**Scream: **I don't ever want you to think I forgot about you or stopped loving you for a minute. See these envelopes. Each one contains a check from me. Every time I was able to find out where you were living, I sent one to your house for you. Your mother got hold of them and sent them back before you could get them. I wanted to support you and give you everything you needed. She wouldn't let me. It's alright now, because all this money that these checks were written for is in a special bank account waiting for you. I knew I would find you one day when I got out of the army. You can use it to buy a car when you get old enough.

**Ciara: **Or go to college.

**Scream: **Definitely. That would be great.

**Ciara: **You didn't answer my question. Why did mommy take me away?

**Scream: **Your mother had problems. She was sick in her head and for some reason she just wasn't suited to raise boys. Please don't think it had anything to do with your brothers or you. She and I were having problems for a long time and her answer was to run away and take you with her and leave me to raise the boys.

**Ciara: **Is mommy going to get help now? She's going to talk to a doctor like that nice one that was on the plane with me.

**Scream: **Let's hope so. But, this is our time together. Let's just talk about what you have been doing since I last seen you.

Two weeks, and one tearful goodbye later and Scream was back on the base. The army arranged for Ciara to fly back to Long Island and for the captain's wife to pick her up at the airport. Scream reassured her that they would never go that long without seeing each other and would stay in close contact. He told her that he would be back home with her soon.

When Scream arrived back on the base, he learned that there wasn't a single opening for a medic trainee back in the states. He was put on a waiting list. In the meantime, Ciara would remain with the captain's family for as long as necessary and Scream made good his promise that he and Ciara would write and talk with each other.

By the end of that year, Scream was accepted as a medic trainee back home and was preparing to leave. Before he left, his squad saw him off.

**Scream: **You guys are a great team and we couldn't have come as far as we did if we didn't work together. Remember, to stick with your team, have each others backs and watch over each other. Your time here would go faster and a lot smoother if you stayed together.

**Private: **Sergeant, your ride to the airport is here.

**Scream: **Thank you, private. As for you, Rawhide 1, I'm going to be checking up on each of you and don't let me hear one bad report about any of you or I'LL COME BACK AND KICK YOUR GODDAMN ASSES! YOU ARE GODDAMN CORPORALS NOW, NOT PRIVATES. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR THE LOWER RANKS AND LET EVERY ONE KNOW WHAT A GREAT JOB I DID WITH YOU!

**Rawhide 1: **WE WON'T LET YOU DOWN, SERGEANT! WE'LL MISS YOU, SIR!

**Scream: **DON'T CALL ME, SIR! And I'll miss you, assholes too.

Scream picked up his bag and turned his squad, Rawhide 1, over to their new squad leader.

**Scream: **YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE, SERGEANT BO RYDER!

**Bo: **I ONLY HOPE I DO YOU RIGHT BUT I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FILL YOUR SHOES!

**Scream: **Not as big as my feet are. Goodbye, troops.

Scream got into the hummer and the others waved as they drove off.

Back home, Scream started his refresher coarse as a medic. He bought a house off base and he and Ciara moved into it. During a riot in the prison lunchroom, Lindsay was fatally stabbed. Now it was really only Scream and Ciara. However, every weekend they went to the cemetery and visited the boys. They maintained the graves and put new flowers on them every visit. After all these years, Scream finally had what he always wanted which was to be reunited with his children. It would have been much better if his sons were still with them. His and Ciara's time at the cemetery became known as "_The Silas Family Reunion"_. Scream had finally dealt with his demons of that tragic Christmas past and was able to move on with his new life.

**_The End_**

Please read and review. Hope you enjoyed this little insight of my favorite and under-used characters, SSG Scream.


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